Shades Of Orange SEQUELCONT TO TAXI, TAXI
by SLYSWN
Summary: "You are Kurosaki Ichigo, a nineteen year old college boy who captivated me, Aizen Sousuke, a man who readily will admit that he believed himself to be above such basic and troublesome emotions of the average human." COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Hmm let's see if I owned BLEACH, Ichigo probably would've joined Aizen's side –among other things, smirk. Kubo-sensei I most assuredly am not!**

BonneNuit this is for you! =)

**Overall all Warnings for the chapters: AU, UKE!Ichigo, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, non-beta-ed, language, pleasant and unpleasant things, dirty minds, AizenxIchigo, GrimmjowxIchigo, KenpachixIchigo, OthersIchigo, switching of views, cross-dressing, mentions of other BL pairings, mentions of mpreg, bits of crack, and whatever else I might have forgotten.**

SEQUEL/CONTINUATION TO TAXI, TAXI

Shades of Orange Part 1

**Perfection?**

(Different View Point)

(Ishida)

Ishida Uryu is nearing the point of a nervous breakdown and even with Sado-kun in his corner he is not at ease.

The night of his big reveal, the night when he'd prove once and for all that his father was wrong about him, calling his dreams worthless, had finally approached after months and months of driving himself to limit and beyond.

He had stressed to everyone just how important tonight's event was but no one seemed to care.

Half of his models did not show up and several of the outfits (which he himself had made sure was sized and styled to perfection) had suddenly not fit, too small, too large, the wrong color, the wrong pattern.

And why? Why were these kinds of things happening to him?

Because somewhere up in heaven the angels decided to have a good laugh at his expense, apparently.

"Ishida-san I have to go to the bathroom but I can hardly move in this torture contraption."

Ishida turned his attention to one of his youngest models.

Barely 14 years of age, Lilinette Gingerback had already managed to capture the attention of millions with her tea-green colored page-boy haircut and mismatched eyes (one a smoky gray and the other a vibrant pink) Despite being a mere 4 feet 5 inches tall, when the young girl stepped out on to the run way—she acted like she owned it.

During interviews, Lilinette managed to keep her answers polite and professional without ever losing her natural spunk.

She normally would wear any type of fabric like it was a second skin but tonight however she was being rather difficult.

Ishida knew better than to crouch down and address the girl as though she were a child (which she still technically was) since he had seen what happened when Yammi, one of Lilinette's bodyguards had done that—the large rotund man had received a dangerous jab to the most delicate part on a man's body, and hadn't been able to walk properly for a week after that.

"Lilinette, I'm sorry that you're finding the fabric to be too constricting but I need you to wear it for at least a little while longer."

The girl looked far from happy as she tugged violently on the ridiculously tight dress made from seaweed and bits of twine "Ishida-san with all do respect, I look like an idiot in this outfit."

Ishida almost fainted at the comment luckily Sado-kun was there to catch him before that could happen.

"Lilinette you are embodying the goddess of youth, Hebe, you should be wearing that piece with pride."

The girl snorted "You know if my father found out about this he'd probably f—a hand came over the girl's mouth, silencing her.

"Forgive her she's just a little cranky," an owner with a kind but lazy set of eyes said as he met Ishida's own "You know how kids are."

Ishida pushed his glasses higher up on to his thin nose, ready to question just who this new comer was, he'd never seen him before.

Just as he opened his mouth however a blood-curdling scream rang out in the air.

It seemed to be coming from the next room.

_**'Now what?'**_

() () () () () ()

Ishida was not the type of person to just barge into a room—he had much more class then that. He knocked on the door sharply and called out "Is everything alright in there? Did one of you ladies hurt yourselves?"

He heard a loud crash, a stream of curses and wasted no more time, he turned the knob and stepped inside.

Dresses, scarves, hats and various undergarments had been thrown haphazardly around the dressing room.

There was a crack in the large mirror hanging over the vanity station, bits of red liquid (God he hoped it wasn't blood!) speckled the perfume bottles, hair and body sprays as well as the dresser it self.

Over in the corner, looking worse for wear, sat a girl with a pixie nose and short sandy blonde colored hair. She had a nasty scratch across her left cheek, her costume shredded in various places. She snarled up at him "If you're looking for my twin, you won't find her," a nasty smirk "she went home to lick her wounds."

Ishida couldn't believe what he was hearing "WHAT?"

The girl snorted and rose to her feet "I told you I should've been Aphrodite," with those parting words, she left.

Ishida rubbed the side of his temple.

_**'What else could go wrong?'**_

() () () () ()

Ishida was not the type to shout into the phone—he found that kind of behavior to be extremely childish—but if the idiot on the other end of the line didn't shut up, he was about to find out just how threatening Ishida could be without even having to raise his voice.

"No, that is not acceptable!

"No I do not care if he had the flu!"

"Absolutely not! You can't just reschedule an event like this one."

"With all do respect Koga-san, I highly doubt you could accomplish that."

"No!"

"I'm well aware of what Muramasa-san means to this industry, I chose him for that very reason."

"There will be no second chances."

"You're not very bright are you Koga-san?"

"Did he?"

"I don't have time for this. Consider our contract null and void."

Ishida was not the type of person to throw temper tantrums—but he was nearing the end of his rope.

Snapping his blue and white Nokia phone shut, the 19 year old fashion designer fell back on to the comfy cushioned couch behind him.

He let out a sigh. His internal clock telling him that it was nearing closer and closer to show time.

_'Sweet heavens above, I need a miracle!'_

() () ()

"Alright everyone, change of plans, Yumichika-san will be (Cupid), Noba will be our third Siren and Cruicci will be Artemis."

"What? Wait! Who will be our Aphrodite, Hercules and Hera then?"

"Don't worry about that right now."

A bald headed man peeked through the curtain "5 minutes, Ishida!"

"Thank you Ikkaku-san."

A man with Prussian blue colored hair stepped out of line (his large white wings dancing behind him) as he approached the bald headed man "Ikkaku," the rest of his sentence was murmured as he straightened the red bow tie around the taller man's neck.

Ishida couldn't help but smile at the tender moment between the two lovers.

But the moment he heard the familiar music blasting through the loud speakers, he snapped back into professional mode.

"That's your cue! Stop flirting and get out there!"

() () () ()

"Stupid girl why did she have to make that extra turn, I specifically told her not to d—

Ishida felt a tap from behind him, stopping mid rant.

He turned ""Sado?"

"Ichigo and the girls have arrived."

() () () () ()

"You're late."

Inoue stepped forward, a look of guilt on her face "It's my fault Ishida-kun if I hadn't t—

Kurosaki cut her off "Look we're late and sorry. It's a long story and I promise I'll make it up to you."

Ishida took in the other males' red puffed cheeks, dreamy expression and wrinkled clothing "Hmph, you certainly look like you've had some night Kurosaki."

"That's because he did," Kuchiki smirked "Ichigo found himself a new admirer."

"Oh?"

The surprise in Ishida's voice was purposely exaggerated.

Because as it was, it was not much of a surprise at all.

Kurosaki always seemed to get himself in to some type of "situation" or another. He was kind of like natural prey for a large chunk of society.

Everything about him, from his loud alien hair color to his natural instinct to protect, just drew others to him like a magnet or a really annoying gnat (whichever)

"Well you couldn't have come at a better time actually, follow me!"

()()

Shades of Orange PART 2

**Catwalk and then some**

(Ichigo)

Ichigo should've known Ishida would pull something like this. He had seemed entirely too at ease with their late arrival, brushing it off with a smile that was entirely out of place, an almost careless shrug to his shoulders.

"Kuchiki-san, Inoue-san, he titled his glasses "Kurosaki" there was a dramatic pause "Allow me to introduce you to some very important people."

A loud squealing sound and blur of white and red shot past Ichigo's vision just then. A familiar person ran towards Inoue and smothered the brunette with a squeezing hug "Hime, my beautiful Hime, where have you been hiding during these past four years, huh?"

"Chizuru-san!" Ishida reprimanded.

Ichigo heard Rukia snicker beside him.

Chizuru reluctantly loosened her grip on Inoue and fell back in line "Forgive me Ishida-san," the last part had been tacked on rather carelessly.

Ishida cleared his throat "As I was saying, another dramatic completely unnecessary pause, "Allow me to introduce you to your stylist team for the evening."

He held out a clipboard "As I call out your names, step forward and introduce yourself," he sent a warning glare to Chizuru "Keep it short!"

"Honsho, Chizuru."

"I'll get to you two if we have time. But right now I got dibs on Hime!"

Ishida rolled his eyes but continued reading down the list

"Yamada, Hanataro."

"I'm Hanataro. Nice to meet you, I'll give it my best."

"Yadomaru, Risa"

"Yadomaru Risa. If you'd like to read some of my porn collection while you're going through the whole beautification process, I have plenty."

"Kuna, Mashiro."

"Why the long face Berry-tan? I promise I'll be gentle."

If Ichigo were a lesser man he'd probably be running right about now.

_**'Please let this be a bad joke.'**_

With a snap of Ishida's fingers, the group of stylists moved towards them.

Ichigo held back a tortured groan.

It was not in his nature to plead (usually) but he had absolutely no desire to model in Ishida's fashion show.

"Ishida please something else, anything else but this."

Ishida smirked "For every action there must come a consequence." He gave Ichigo a consoling pat on the shoulder "Beauty is Pain and Pain is Beauty, we both know this."

()()()()()()()()

They started off by wiping the sweat and dirt clinging to his skin (after they had forced him to strip out of his clothes—that is)

Next, various powders, creams and glitters were patted, smoothed and sprinkled all over his body.

Luckily (because Ichigo had inherited most of his mothers' features) there wasn't much need for wax—just under his arms and a slight trim around his pubic area.

Apricot seemed to be the main color theme for his costume.

From head to toe.

Hair extensions (various shades of orange, red and yellow) eye shadow, blush, polish on both his hands and feet. His body was draped in the softest of silks, wrapping around his frame much like a toga.

Several golden bangles (3 on his left wrist, 6 on his right, 2 on his left ankle and 4 on his right)

To finish it all off, a crown of pink and orange flowers now sat a top his head.

Against his will, he was forced into 4 inch heeled sandals.

The stylists beamed at the result. Rukia was snapping pictures with her I-phone, Inoue was struck entirely speechless for once, Ishida was congratulating himself and Chado—Chado had a hand over his nose.

Ichigo was not an idiot. He knew damn well why the taller male was clutching his nose in that way. Because it was Chado, he just scowled but had it been someone else well…

"Quit gawking and let's get this over with."

Rukia snapped several more photos as Inoue pulled him towards the staircase leading to the stage.

At that moment, the only thing that went through Ichigo's mind was

_**'Thank God Ulquiorra isn't here.'**_

()()()()()()()(

Being on stage in one word was—uncomfortable.

All those eyes staring at him (some with awe, some with jealousy, most with desire)

Ichigo was suddenly glad for all the pink and orange (makeup, costume and lighting included) because right now he was surely turning 15 brilliant shades of red or orange (whichever)

Rukia and Inoue on the other hand—well they were eating all of the attention up.

The raven-haired beauty had taken quite a liking to being the evil queen goddess, Hera. Hair blown out and curled into large waves. Tiny diamond clips shined and sparkled when she spun and twirled on the catwalk.

Her gown was dark, long and lacy. She wore open toed heels so she could show off her matching toe rings (twin serpents starting at her pinky toes and coiling all the way up to wrap around her slender ankles,)

And the buxom brunette had completely fallen in love with her role as the half human/half god Hercules. Her hair had been pulled up high on top of her head and twisted into tiny cinnamon type buns.

Her body draped in a cloth similar to Ichigo's own (a rich camel color ending just above her knees.) They had taped down her chest and strapped armor over it. Stomping around the stage in clunky forest green boots brought the widest smile to her face.

A hiss came from behind just then, startling Ichigo so badly, he nearly lost his footing and crashed into Artemis and Aries.

Typical—no one seemed to even notice his slip up.

He heard a snicker and turned to find another familiar looking face.

Tatsuki?

He took a moment to study the girl. Funny she'd never seemed like the modeling type.

But some how the look suited her well.

A bird's nest type of crown sat on top of her head, gold glitter sprinkled her arms and chest, seeing her in a pale canary yellow dress with matching slippers reminded him of her birthday party back when they were 6 years old and her mother had forced her to look like a girl for once.

The thought made him smile.

He wanted to talk to her but suddenly an unnatural chill came over his body.

He felt like he was being watched.

He tried to look past Tatsuki in order to get a look at the person who was watching him but the only thing to greet him was some strange guy in a furry mask.

Ichigo shook his head.

He would be so thankful when this night came to a close.

()()()()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

_**Urahara's Auto Service**_

Really why did the man insist on having such a cheesy title for his company? Did he really think he would be able to continue attracting a respectable audience based on natural charm alone?

()()()()()()()()()()()

"So how was it?"

"It was satisfactory."

"Really? Only satisfactory, not amazing, outstanding—the single greatest ride you've ever had in your life?"

"Get serious."

The man with straw colored hair clutched his chest tightly before falling on top of the vehicle dramatically "Don't listen to him Benihime, he's a bad, bad evil man who doesn't understand that true beauty is skin deep."

Aizen raised a brow at the ridiculous display. Sometimes he tended to forget that the blond was a good 3 years older than himself with the way he acted.

After a few minutes of crocodile tears and highly disturbing caressing motions, gray eyes met brown.

Urahara was the first one to look away.

Aizen followed the man's gaze to the single small orange strand of hair resting oh so innocently on the collar of his shirt.

The blond leered at him "So, tell me who is the lucky girl (here he winked) or guy?" his tone was playful.

Aizen, naturally, refused to answer.

"Fine be that way." Urahara's voice went from playful to determined "I'll find out eventually."

"I highly doubt that." Aizen unrolled a wad of bills and placed it in the blonds' pocket.

Urahara fingered the bills "It's not like you to just hand over money Aizen," the blond studied him "What's the catch?"

Aizen smirked "Even I can be a charitable man when the time calls for it."

Urahara blanched "W-Why y-you—

"Tell Shihoin that Gin will stop by on Friday to pick her up. Should you change your mind and decide to join in on the celebration, there is a 500 dollar entrance fee."

"Entrance fee? But I didn't make you pay an entrance fee for my last birthday party."

Aizen felt the all too familiar twinge of an on coming migraine.

_**'Honestly, whining like a three year old, the man should be ashamed.'**_

Of course (Aizen had to remind himself) a man like Urahara Kisuke had no shame.

"But Sousuke-kun we've known each other for years, surely that should count for something."

"The entrance fee is non-negotiable." Brown eyes narrowed sharply "And never address me by using such a degrading title."

"Can I call you Sou then?"

If a glare could kill, the blond would be lying in a puddle of his own blood by now.

It was Aizen's own fault really. He never ever should have gone to that bachelor party with Urahara 6 months ago.

Gin had warned him. Tousen had warned him. Hell—even his barely 16-year-old chauffeur had thought it unwise for him to go to such an event with one of the most shameless men in Karakura.

_'Don't let him order you drinks! Hell, don't drink at all! Should you choose to consume some type of alcoholic beverage, stick to something you know! The more relaxed you let yourself become, the worst off your situation will become.'_

Still—Aizen did not take kindly to being lectured. There were very few who could get away with talking to him in a disrespectful or belittling tone. And even those select few, knew when to hold their tongue.

Sometimes one must go through life and experience both the good and the bad.

'Course waking up on the shady side of the city with 2 street hookers on either side of him had been much more than bad, it had been a nightmare. Having one of those "said hookers" turn out to be Urahara Kisuke in drag—well that was something that Aizen never wanted to relive again.

"Even though you choose to dress like a hobo with that old tiered hat and clogs, we both know that you most definitely are _**not **_strapped for cash."

This was quite the understatement since Urahara's Auto Service was one of the top 3 in the country but Aizen was irritated and felt no reason to further inflate the blonds' already ridiculously large ego.

"The party starts at 7:00pm. Dress appropriately and bring something that can actually be of some use to a 15 year old girl."

()(()()()()()()(()

(Ichigo)

The relief of being able to switch back into his own clothes was the single greatest blessing Ichigo felt he'd had in weeks.

He wasn't too happy about being forced to wear the extensions for another week (Ishida's stupid rules!) but he figured he could just pull it back into a simple pony tail or a sloppy bun—that way it wouldn't fall and hang all over his face.

Inoue and Rukia were sad to part with their costumes until Ishida had promised to make it up to them.

He offered them spots in his summer fashion show (Pirates would be the theme)

The girls were ecstatic.

"Will you be joining us for that one as well Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo felt like gagging himself with a spoon "Not a chance in hell!"

_**'Aw what's the matter King? Not up for being someone's wench?**__'_

_'Keep laughing Shirosaki, you'll see what happens.'_

The voice fell silent.

Inoue looked a bit taken a back by his loud protest but thankfully did not cry.

She let out a disappointed sigh "That's too bad but I understand."

Rukia let out a yawn "It's been a long night, I think we should start heading back home."

She turned to Ishida "Thank you for the wonderful evening."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself Kuchiki-san, you can stop by next week and I'll have your shoes ready for you."

"Shoes?" Ichigo questioned aloud.

"Kuchiki-san broke the heel off her shoe while we were mock battling earlier," Inoue explained.

"I still can't believe I missed that last jump."

"Battling? Jumps?"

_'What the hell are these two talking about. I don't remember seeing any thing like that'_

Ishida, the all knowing, felt it was his duty to further enlighten the orange haired youth "Yes well with the way you were gallivanting around the stage with your head in the clouds, I'm not surprised that you missed one of the nights most exciting moments."

"No problem, I caught it all on video."

Ichigo turned to his best friend in order to strike up a conversation. It had been far too long since they last spent time together. "Chado, how are you?"

"I'm well. You need to stop by my apartment some time this week, I have something to show you."

"I'll be sure to do that." A pause "You're still coming over for the holidays right? Mother and Yuzu are roasting wild boar."

"I'll be there."

Rukia and Inoue let out twin yawns.

Ichigo gave his friend an apologetic look. "Sorry looks like we'll have to pick this up later. I should get the girls home."

"Of course."

()()()()()()()

"You sure you don't want us to come inside with you Kurosaki-kun?"

"Nah, that won't be necessary, just wait here in the lobby while I grab a few things. I need my toothbrush and some other stuff before we can head over to Rukia's.

"Stuff? Like a certain blue panther plushie for example? Or perhaps you'll just rummage through your roommates drawers searching for condoms?"

For some one who was quote "So tiered" Rukia still seemed to have plenty of energy to taunt him.

"Knock it off already Rukia! It's not like I'm going to sneak away from your house in the middle of the night and meet Aizen at some fancy love hotel or something."

Her eyes twinkled in that all knowing perverted fan girl way "So you admit it then, that the thought has crossed your mind?"

"Why waste your time and money on a love hotel Kurosaki-kun,"

The girl paused and Ichigo watched in horror as Inoue reached in her purse and pulled out a set of keys (2 silver, one gold) he knew what the gold one was for.

"No Inoue."

"But Kurosaki-kun I want your first time to be as romantic as possible," she placed the set of keys into his hand and closed his fingers around it, all the while smiling up at him as though he were some sort of divine being "And don't hesitate in telling Aizen-san to remember to be slow and gentle."

Ichigo thought it was sweet—until he realized exactly what had just been said.

Rukia snorted at his obvious embarrassment "Well said Inoue."

_'Thou shall not strangle! Thou shall not hurt! Thou shall not s—_

_**'Oh what harm could one little mock choke do? She might even like it.'**_

_Beat it Shirosaki. I don't have the time or patience to deal with you anymore tonight.'_

'_Have it your way King but don't say I didn't offer.'_

"Aw isn't that sweet Inoue, he's thinking of Aizen-san again?"

Rukia couldn't be more wrong.

"Whatever." Ichigo scowled at the duo "Look you two just wait here in the lobby I'll be back in like 20 seconds."

"Really only twenty? To masturbate?" Rukia shook her head "Ichigo, you poor thing, we're going to have to work on that because let me tell you—premature ejaculation, so not sexy."

He glared at the raven-haired girl, stormed up the staircase and out of sight.

_/Really one of these days she's gonna get it!'_

_**'Yeah so ya keep saying. Honestly King why are ya such a damn puss around those two?'**_

Why the hell he bothered to explain the obvious to his other personality, he himself really didn't know.

Ichigo shook his head and pressed the up button on the elevator

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

His roommate and more than half of the students had already gone home for the holidays. And the last time he checked (yesterday morning) his dorm room floor was virtually empty.

There was only one other occupant left on this floor (besides himself) a short pigtailed blond girl with freckles who went by the name, Hiyori. She usually kept to herself, only coming out of her room when she had classes to attend or when she deemed it necessary (which to her meant letting the pizza and burrito delivery guys in.)

So then why now could he detect the sounds of several voices?

As Ichigo moved further down the hall and towards Room 15K, he recognized said voices.

_'Don't tell me, please don't tell me its them.'_

_**'Why don't you open the door and find out, King.'**_

Ichigo cursed under his breath and turned the knob.

()()()()()()()()

"Welcome back Kurosaki, didya miss us?"

There was Grimmjow, sprawled out on the bed in all his blue haired glory, grin wider than a damn Cheshire cat.

"Itysugo come sith down."

Bouncing up and down on the other bed across from Grimmjow, sat Nel. She patted the empty spot beside her.

Over by the back wall, on top of the desk, sat Halibel, wearing a long embroidered scarf and nothing else. She offered him a smile that was less than innocent.

_**'Better hope her ass doesn't get splinters.'**_

Ichigo wisely chose to ignore Shirosaki's comment.

He averted his gaze from Halibel's nearly nude form and spotted Ulquiorra over by the single window, looking expressionless as ever. Then before Ichigo could blink, the guy was just mere inches away from his face.

Voice as monotone as ever "You've waxed and you're wearing hair extensions. Why?"

Ichigo backed up in order to distance himself from that unwavering (not to mention intimidating) bottle green gaze. His eyes flicked around to the other occupants in the room—it was then when he realized something.

"Where's Starrk?"

He mentally slapped himself after asking the question.

_'Why the hell did I just ask that? I don't give a damn about where that perverted narcoleptic is.'_

"Starrk is spending time with the child."

Ichigo raised a fine brow _'Starrk has a kid? I never would've pegged him as the paternal type but—_

Nel's eyes turned dreamy "Itysugo would make a pretty mommy."

_**WTF?**_

Grimmjow threw his head back and laughed loud and obnoxious "Ha! I admit I'll have to agree with you on that one, Nelliel."

_'Fuckin asshole!'_

"Well I do have a friend whose father is as scientist," Halibel began "Rumor has it, he and a group of his colleagues are currently working on a special drug that should increase the possibility for male pregnancy."

_**'Do ya hear that King, male Pregnancy?'**_

_Shut up Shirosaki, we share the same body, so you'd be carrying the kid too'_

"Is that why you're wearing hair extensions Kurosaki? Are you preparing yourself for motherhood?" Ulquiorra's eyes uncharacteristically glazed over dreamily just then "I shall contact Pesche for maternity clothes but first— (he pulled a roll of measuring tape out of his sleeve) "Raise your arms, so I can take some measurements."

()()()()()()()()()()()

"20 seconds, more like half an hour," Rukia grinned at him "I'm so proud of you Ichigo."

"Not now Rukia, please can we just go?"

The trio made their way towards the exit

"Um Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo held the door open for Rukia and then turned to Inoue, prompting her to continue with a jerk of his head.

"Aren't you cold?"

_'I'm freezing my damn ass off but Grimmjow stole my underwear-after sniffing it that is)_

_"If you're going to be my woman Kurosaki, underwear won't be necessary."_

_'And Halibel, Ulquiorra and Nel tossed my entire wardrobe into the trash'_

_'You won't need these any more. We'll send you a text of when you can pick up your new wardrobe.'_

And then the four of them, together lifted him up and unceremoniously tossed him out of his own damn room!

Shirosaki was having a fucking parade inside his head, cackling like a maniac. _**'You're such a damn puss King, I swear maybe you were born a bitch and ya ma and pa never told ya!'**_

_Shut the fuck up Shirosaki!_

Rukia was looking at him strangely "What exactly are you wearing Ichigo? It looks like some kind of fancy scarf."

_That's because it is.'_

"Look Rukia it's been a long night, can you please just save the teasing and taunts for tomorrow?"

Her smile wavered and then turned to a frown as she finally detected the stressed tone in his voice. She placed her hand on top of his forehead, voice now serious. "Are you feeling alright, Ichigo?"

"I'm just tiered."

()()()()()()()

"Hey Byakuya you wouldn't happen to have an extra pair of pajamas I could borrow would y—oh shit, geez I—uh, sorry I'll fuck!-I- I'll just go."

In his rush to leave, Ichigo tripped over the bathroom scale and nearly crashed head first into the sink.

"Do you make it a habit of interrupting people during there private time, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Byakuya's voice came out as cold and unforgiving as ever.

Ichigo wondered how the guy could still keep such a dispassionate tone even when he was pounding into his lover inside the shower.

_'But I mean really doesn't anybody use shower curtains anymore?'_

_**Stupid King, ya really think some damn curtains would make this any less awkward. Bad enough the guy can barely stand ya, now ya had to go and barge in on his lovely dovey time with Shu—**_

"Either come in or get out, you're letting all the cold air in." Shuhei's voice sounded nearly breathless and amused all at once.

Ichigo nearly had a nosebleed at that moment.

_'Surely Hisagi-san can't be serious'_

_'In your berry dreams, King.'_

"I better not find my bathroom in complete disarray when I step out."

Ichigo righted the scale and the opened the door "I'm really sorry I didn't mean t—well any way I'll figure something out, uh night."

He closed the door as softly as he could.

"That boy really should be taught a lesson."

Ichigo stopped in his tracks when he realized the two were talking about him,

"Hmm, careful Byakuya-darling, you don't want to give him the wrong impression now do you?"

"Idiot. I wouldn't dare. I'd never hear the end of it from Rukia (voice going an almost embarrassingly high falsetto) See, see Nii-sama I told you so."

Shuhei laughed uproariously at the seriously bad impression.

This went on for the next few minutes and Ichigo was ready to walk away but it seemed Shuhei had finally collected himself as he added "Well you know we could always inv—

"Forget it Hisagi, I'm not about to go up against half of the population in Karakura just so I can get a sample of Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Oh but sugar puff don't you want to at least t—mph don't think you can just ki—

The sound of moaning reached Ichigo's ears.

He felt his face growing almost unbearably warm.

Damn he had half a mind to go back in there and throw himself at both of the raven-haired men. Would love to lick that sexy tattoo on Hisagi-san's cheek. Love to run his fingers through Byakuya's long luxurious mane and bite that soft, succulent swan like neck of his.

Gah damn it and now he was hard gain. And no scarf, no matter how long, could properly cover this up.

Ichigo glared down at his (not so little) problem.

_'Damn it! Go away already would you!'_

**NO SUCH LUCK**

The orange haired youth cursed himself once more "What the hell has gotten into me tonight?

_'It's all—damn I swear if I ever see that Aizen again I'll—_

_**'You'll bend over like the horny little berry bitch you are and learn to love it!'**_

_'Shirosaki this is the last warning. I swear to God if you even dare to make another comment like that, I will contact Zan.'_

There was an unintelligible grumbling before the voice in his head fell completely silent.

Ichigo shook his head and continued on down the hall, stopping in front of Rukia's bedroom door to ensure that both girls were still sleeping. He smiled at the sight and continued on towards the guest room.

Maybe there was something left in one of the drawers from when he slept over the last time.

()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

"Are you excited Hitsugaya-kun?"

"About being woken up in the middle of the night? No. About Hinamori finally coming home after being away for 2 and a half years? (A sigh) "I just hope she hasn't gotten herself into some kind of trouble."

"Would you cry if something happened to her?"

"…"

"What if I told you she has a boyfriend, would that change how you feel about her?"

"…"

"Did you ever wonder why I have never insisted on having you address me by my title, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"…"

"Do you wish to fall in love and marry her one day?"

"Love is for fools. I am no fool. Hinamori is important to me. I will not let harm come to her, least of all from somebody _**like**_ you."

"Do my comments anger you? Or perhaps (a knowing smirk) you are frustrated with yourself for never making your feelings known?"

"How can you honestly look at yourself in the mirror everyday and not want to claw your own eyes out!"

"Even if I did have claws, which I most definitely do not, I would never do something so incredibly barbaric."

The boy grumbled something unintelligible under his breath before pulling the vehicle into park "We're here, sir" the last part was nearly hissed out.

"What brought upon the sudden show of respect, Hitsugaya-kun?"

In truth, the brat was hardly showing him a single ounce of respect but it was so much fun to throw him off. Riling up Hitsugaya Toshiro was one of Aizen's favorite past times.

The boys' not-so-secret affections, the way he pined after the girl could almost be considered sweet (-if Aizen were the type of person to find obsession sweet—that is.

Still…

Hitsugaya-kun, although a prodigy, was also quite human. It was only natural for the boy to inhabit some character flaws.

Gin called it Adolescence. Kaname called it an error in the boys' parental upbringing.

Well considering the boy had basically been raised in a whorehouse up until he reached the age of 11, right before he'd been rescued by a woman and her cat, Haineko, Gin and Kaname were both correct.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I will never own BLEACH and you can thank your lucky stars for that one!**

**Warnings: Spelling, Language, grammar, punctuation, dirty minds, AiIchi, OthersIchi, OthersAi, cross-dressing, mentions of male preg, bits of crack, unhealthy obsessions and whatever else I said before.**

**Dedication: BonneNuit for her continued support and input =)**

PART 3

Shades of Orange: Asleep and Awake

(Aizen)

Aizen has never been a light sleeper so when he hears the sound of a door creaking open just a good two hours after he's fallen into the brief land of slumber, he is not the least bit groggy.

As his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, the moon casts a light on the single silhouette standing there just outside his bedroom door, dressed in plum colored mesh and lace baby doll.

It is Hinamori.

He had hoped the girl would have grown out of this habit during her time away at boarding school (seeking him out in the middle of the night) He is not a cruel man (unless given reason to be) so he does not send the child away, but beckons her inside.

Her body sort of sways and her feet glide as she steps inside (a rather poor display of a sashay) Not that he'll tell her this. She'd surely throw a tantrum, cause a scene and wake up the rest of the house.

He does not jump in surprise as the girl continues to make her way over, stopping just inches away from his bed, looking at him with eyes that no 15 year old should have.

For the briefest of moments he is reminded of the girls' mother, one of his many conquests from many moons ago.

The woman had been needy and clingy—and quite off her rocker.

She had charmed him at first, with that practiced smile, innocent doe eyes, she had had (he would still admit it to this day) lovely curves, even the scar beneath her breastbone had not made her any less appealing in his eyes.

He still couldn't be entirely sure why she had drowned herself just 24 hours after giving birth and naming the girl—but he was not the type to mourn the loss of a selfish, suicidal idiot.

It was such a shame to see her daughter heading down the same path—he supposed in a good 4, 5 years, Hinamori would be laid to rest underneath the soil, no ordinary grave yard (for Aizen treasured all of his children) but in his very own back yard.

"What troubles you Hinamori?"

The girl turned up her nose in distaste "Why must you call me that? I have a first name you know?"

She is irritated reminding him of lioness who does not take kindly to strangers coming into her den and disturbing her young.

_**'Such a poor, misguided creature.'**_

With out real warning (not that Aizen needs much of a warning—usually) the girl shoves his face into her chest and breathes out in what must surely be a practiced line "Love me Aizen-sama, love all of me!"

Aizen almost misses the days of when the girl would jump into his lap and ask for a horsey ride – at least _that _behavior had almost been normal—this current behavior however was…

"Hinamori stop this foolish act! Have you learned nothing while you were away for the past 2 and a half years?"

The girl looked like she was nearly on the verge of tears.

He could feel that damn migraine returning full swing.

"Hinamori listen to me, you can not act this way. It is highly inappropriate for a girl your age, not to mention completely immoral and unethical."

"But it doesn't have to be Aizen-sama, you love me right?"

"I love you as a father loves his daughter."

_**'Some of the time any way'**_

"But we can-I mean—Who cares about the rest of society? We belong together. I know we do."

Aizen was not a violent man but he would not tolerate disobedience.

The young girl fell to the floor dramatically and clutched her stinging cheek, staring up at him in confusion "What have I done for you to hate me so much father?" with a soft sob she stumbled to her feet and fled from the room.

Aizen was not a weak man (there fore he would not run after the girl and kiss her wounds better) She would get over it eventually, for she could never stay angry with him for long.

()()()()()()()()()())()

(Ichigo)

_"Step right up, step right up, come inside and see Aizen the Magnificent."_

_"Keigo since when do you work at the circus?"_

_"Ichigooooo!" a brown haired youth ran towards his orange haired friend, arms wide open, ready and waiting for a hug, only to have his face meet a raised forearm._

_"Comfort zone, Keigo. Don't forget that!"_

_Keigo wiped his dripping nose and offered Ichigo a grin "So what brings you way out here?"_

_"To be honest I'm not exactly sure, I just sort of appeared I guess?" Ichigo scratched his hairless chin "Hm must be a dream or something,"_

_"A dream? But why would you dream about a circus, Ichigo?"_

_"Ah who cares how we got here, why don't we just go in and check it out."_

_The orange haired youth turned to the newcomer "Renji when did you get here or rather why are you in my dream?"_

_He was convinced that it must be a dream—why else would his tattooed friend be wearing banana printed pajamas in broad daylight?_

_"Beats me I only came to see the Gorilla King—heard he gave birth two weeks ago."_

_"Abarai please do not tell me you honestly believe that silly newspaper."_

_"Ishida."_

_"Kurosaki."_

_"Ichigo."_

_"Chado."_

_For some reason having his best friend in his dream seemed quite natural._

_"Are you and Ishida out on a date or something?"_

_"Or something," Ishida smirked "I've always had an unusual addiction for cotton candy."_

_"Oi are you ladies gonna stand out here all fuckin' day and chit chat or are you gonna move your asses inside so we can get out of his damn sun?"_

_"Yes he does have a point. All this sunlight can not be good for a mother to be like Kurosaki here."_

_"You hurt Itsugo's babies, I will hurt you!"_

_"Grimm, Nel, Ulquiorra calm yourselves, no harm will come to Kurosaki._

_Halibel was actually wearing clothes for a change? It was a official this was a dream._

_"That's right it just so happens I have an extra bear-skin cloak with me."_

_"Starrk I thought I told you to stop hunting down those poor creatures."_

_"Aw but this one didn't even feel it."_

_Correction this was not a dream—it was a freakin' nightmare._

_What the hell were they doing here?_

_A heavy bear-skin cloak was draped over Ichigo's shoulder's right before he was lifted into a set of strong arms and carried inside the circus tent._

_Funny how he felt no need to protest against the hold the lazy eyed narcoleptic had on him. Strangely enough he had half a mind to snuggle into the guys' chest and drift off to sleep._

_**'For fuck sakes King! Why is it even right here in dreamland you're so fuckin' lame?'**_

_'Go away Shirosaki—you're not welcome in my dreamland.'_

_**'Sorry but ya wouldn't have dreamt me up if ya really didn't want me here'**_/ gold eyes roamed the tent / _**'Nice digs!'**_

"Welcome my children, welcome visitors and a special welcome to you, Kurosaki Ichigo.

WTF?

Aizen?

Ichigo supposes he should've recognized that smooth baritone right away but –seriously why did this man have to show up in his dream?

_**'Shh King the shows starting! Betta ask the coyote to put ya down so ya don't miss a minute of the action.'**_

_"Abarai do make yourself useful and fetch my prized berry a blanket, would you?"_

_Renji, with a mouth stuffed full of popcorn only blinked stupidly at Aizen the Magnificent._

_Ichigo can't help but wince when his tattooed friend gets knocked to the ground by a rather vicious looking dog-bear type of creature._

_Things become even weirder, when the creature speaks._

_"You will do as Aizen the Magnificent tells you to do."_

_The redhead is wheezing pathetically at the giant set of paws pressing into his chest._

_"Talking will not be necessary. Nod once for yes, twice for no."_

_"Make it quick, Abarai! Do not keep Aizen the Magnificent waiting!"_

_Ichigo finds the whole thing to be ridiculous—why the hell would he need some stupid blanket when Starrk had wrapped a heavy bear skin cloak around him?_

_But of course as dreams go—things do not stay this way but shift, still at the circus but now Ichigo finds himself hanging above the ceiling in a cage, naked as the day he was born. On the outside humans hover in mid-air._

_Several sets of eyes are peering in on him from outside of the cage. (Some cooing, some drooling, others trying to reach inside and touch him._

_Seriously WTF?_

_"Yes behold this lovely, magnificent creature, drink in his sub-human beauty. But I advise you not to touch him else you find yourselves with one less limb or—_

_"OUCH! The son of a bitch just bit me!"_

_"Kurosaki will do a lot more than that if you keep pestering him."_

_Ishida the all knowing._

_"Got that right, Kurosaki'll tear you a new ass hole."_

_"Language Grimmjow!"_

_Ichigo felt an almost strange sense of satisfaction watching Aizen scold the uncouth blue-haired underwear snatcher._

_**'Mmm hmm yeah I bet ya do King, ya just can't get enough of all that raw dominance can ya?'**_

_Shut the hell up Shirosaki!'_

_"Kurosaki-kun could I—could I please touch your ears, just this once?"_

_"Inoue?"_

_"No need to ask him Inoue, just do it! Ichigo loves to have his ears pet don't you?"_

_"Rukia!"_

_Silver blues danced with mirth "You know Ichigo I've been trying to figure out what to get you for a Christmas gift and now I think I finally know exactly what you need," she grabbed his spotted tail and tugged it playfully._

_"Okay Rukia, humor me. What have you decided to get me?"_

_The girl beamed at him "A collar of course, a big shiny purple collar with both yours and Aizen the Magnificents' initials on it."_

_"A lovely idea Kuchiki-san and perfect timing too,"_

_Barely a blink and the scene switched again._

_"Ladies and gentleman, we're gathered here today ta watch King walk down the fuckin aisle and say good bye to his virginity."_

_"Shirosaki what the fuck? How the hell were you able to take a human form?"_

_"It's a dream I'm sure if you thought hard enough, ya could make the old man and the rest of your family appear as well."_

_"Ahem Shiro-kun could you kindly get on with the ceremony?"_

_Deep brown eyes flashed warningly but Shirosaki didn't seem the least bit fazed._

_He merely snorted as he turned to Ichigo "What da ya say King, feel like getting' hitched?"_

_"N—mph" an ivory white hand came over his mouth_

_"Ladies and Gentleman and assholes a like I present to ya your bride and groom."_

_"Wait a minute, back up. He's not even dressed like a bride."_

_Shirosaki rolled his eyes "Fine, someone go fetch the King his wedding gown would ya?"_

_"Already here," Ishida stepped up and presented a box to the berry. "I worked on this for 2 fortnights it's one of a kind and my best work to date," his eyes flashed dangerously for a minute "Ruin it and I will castrate you."_

_"Ah no need to worry about that—King's already been cast—OW!_

_"I'll be careful, Ishida."_

_Ichigo really had no desire to be a bride or wear a dress but he reminded himself that since it was a dream, it wouldn't really make much of a difference._

_Just as he was opening the box, the scene switched again_.

_Ichigo now found himself kneeling on all fours before Aizen the Magnificent in front of a fireplace in what appeared to be an old castle or something._

_His hair was mussed, his eyes were watery, face flushed, pre-cum leaked from the tip of his ruby red cock and the feathery vibrator (which the man had buried with in him earlier) was now making his tight virgin ass twitch violently._

_Ichigo wanted to touch himself, to bring himself to that brilliant white paradise—but Aizen the Magnificent had strictly forbidden it._

_The man rather just sit there with that irritating smirk on his aristocratic face and let Ichigo suffer because he was clearly a sick, twisted, selfish_

"BASTARD!"

A cold hand tapping his cheek quickly brought Ichigo out of nightmare land and into the world of

()()()()()())

"Byakuya?" Ichgo frowned at the cold set of eyes growing even colder.

"Do you make it a habit to shout obscenities in the middle of the night, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"I—there was a circus and wedding dress and this old castle and he was such a—

Byakuya did not look even the least bit interested.

"Come."

"What! I mean huh?"

"Please do not act like an idiot Kurosaki, I know you are a lot smarter than you sometimes let on."

Still half asleep, Ichigo rolled out of bed and stumbled after the stone-faced man.

He wobbled slightly at the foot of the stairs.

Byakuya took pity on him and carried him down the rest of the way.

Ichigo was about to protest when he realized it was pointless and stupid. After all this was Byakuya, Rukia's brother, nothing perverted would come of this.

((()()()()()((((((()()

"Sit down."

Again Ichigo felt no need to argue with Byakuya, He pulled out one of the magenta colored chairs and sat down.

"Do you like sugar or cream in your tea, Kurosaki?"

"I don't really care either way, not too much cream though."

As the raven-haired man prepared tea by the stove, Ichigo drummed his fingers against the tabletop "So about earlier tonight—I really didn't mean to burst in on you guys like that."

Byakuya turned, just the slightest hint of a smirk on his noble face. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you were so shocked by the scene that you would almost crack your skull wide open on my sink?"

"Its true. I know it sounds ridiculous but—

"Get serious, Kurosaki, you are not a clumsy mumbling, fumbling adolescent rosy-cheeked girl, so please stop pretending to be one!"

"Hey! I'm telling you I didn't mean t—

"Quiet down! I don't want you to wake up the rest of the house."

Ichigo shrunk down into his seat, feeling like a young toddler being scolded by his mother.

Of course there was nothing feminine about Byakuya—except for maybe the scarf – Ichigo found himself chuckling at the random thought that perhaps in an alternate universe Halibel would be related to Byakuya, what with the scarf fetish and all.

"Does something on my face amuse you, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo swallowed so hard it hurt.

"Drink." Byakuya passed him a steaming mug of tea with a purple bat on it. Ichigo recognized it as a character from the Happy Hollows Franchise.

"Are you a collector as well, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo nearly choked on his tea.

WTF?

Byakuya raised a pencil thin brow "Was the tea too hot?"

Ichigo coughed violently for a few minutes before he deemed it safe to answer, "No, it's not that, the tea is fine, better than fine, " he took a few sips "My sister loves the Happy Hollows, she searched everywhere for the limited edition Toka Bat mug but had no luck finding it—never thought I'd find it in your kitchen of all places."

"Yes well Hisagi has a strange fascination for bats, one of his college friends gave it to him on his last birthday," Byakuya explained.

"Oh um okay."

"Do I detect disappointment in your voice, Kurosaki?"

"Nah," Ichigo downed the last of his tea "So anyway thanks for letting me crash here again."

"You are welcome here anytime, Kurosaki," silvery-amethyst eyes met cinnamon coffee colored eyes "But in the future, I hope you will dress more appropriately."

Ichigo felt his face growing hot. "Yeah about that—see I have these people in my dorm, they like to play pranks and stuff on me," (at Byakuya's raised brow, he continued) "Any way tonight they thought it would be fun to steal all of my clothes and leave me with nothing but a borrowed scarf—not that there's anything wrong with scarves or anything bu—

_'What the hell! Did Byakuya just lick the side of my mouth?'_

"You had a bit of cream, I merely cleaned it off," there was amusement in Byakuya's tone.

"You know Sugarpuff you really should warn him before you pull a move like that."

There in the doorway in all his silky black pajama glory, stood Shuhei.

"Hisagi-san it's not w—" Ichigo trailed off and tried again "I was just- I mean we were—I was having a nightmare and it woke Byakuya up and—well any way we're just having tea."

Shuhei burst out into laughter, clutching his belly and falling to the ground into a fit of hysterics.

()()()()()(()()

"Really Ichigo you need to stop worrying so much. I'm not going to bite you," Shuhei smirked "Unless you want me to, that is."

"That won't be necessary, Hisagi." Byakuya did not sound amused.

"Er yeah Hisagi-san, don't get me wrong you're uh good-looking and all but—"

_Shit what the hell am I saying—I need—I need to get out of here now!'_

_**'Yeah King I think that would be best for everyone.'**_

"Right," Ichigo rose to his feet, pushed in his chair and turned to Byakuya "I'm really sorry about everything, I'll try to be less careless next time."

Byakuya said nothing.

Against his better judgment, the orange haired 19 year old squeezed the older mans' shoulder (he knew Byakuya didn't like to be touched so he was taking a risk in doing so) "Thanks for listening and stuff."

"All is forgiven Kurosaki, now go back to bed."

Ichigo felt himself smiling rather stupidly as he bid the two lovers a final goodnight and high-tailed it out of there (not with out feeling the slight pinch on his ass—first though)

(Aizen)

Ichimaru Gin, the closest person Aizen had to a true friend. The only person who could point out his occasional faults and not suffer the consequences. The only person who could reach across the breakfast table and snatch a croissant right off of his plate and not lose a few fingers for his bold act.

Yes Gin was a special individual. The younger man had been in Aizen's company for many years. He was a prodigy of sorts, quick with his mouth and even quicker with a blade.

"Did you have fun yesterday?"

Aizen smirked into his teacup "You could say that."

"Hm anyone I know?"

Aizen watched his silver haired companion lick the buttery crumbs off his fingers, as he answered, "Most likely, no."

Gin reached for his own teacup "Ripe or unripe?" he raised it to his thin lips and took a sip.

Aizen thought back to his night with Kurosaki Ichigo (the boy might have started out unripe but-) he smirked "Somewhere in between, I'd say."

"Interesting," Gin smiled "Will he or she be joining us fer breakfast?"

Hmm breakfast with the boy? That would be most interesting. He shall have to look into to it.

"Perhaps," Aizen reached for the large fruit bowl sitting in the middle of the table and picked out a single red strawberry. He brought it to his mouth and ate it. "But not today."

"Yer almost sound as though you let he or she go? Am I right ta think yer by yourself at the moment?"

Aizen saw no reason to answer when they both knew the answer to that.

"Will the kiddies be joining us fer the holidays?"

Aizen reached for his teacup once more "Some of them might," he took a sip and continued, "Hinamori returned last night as I am sure you are aware."

"Did she?" Gin's tone was full of mocking, "Sorry ta say I didn't hear thing," he broke off a corner on his own croissant and brought it to his mouth.

"It is her wish to go shopping today and so I have taken the day off."

"Hmm I don't suppose yer ta want some company?"

"Normally I would never turn down company from you but I need you to contact someone for me today," Aizen reached for the tea- pot and poured him self another cup.

"Oh and who might that be?"

"I will give you the number before I leave, for now, let's enjoy breakfast." Aizen reached for a scone and placed it on his plate.

()()()()()()()()()()

_**/CRASH/**_

"Wonderweiss what have I told you about climbing on top of that bookshelf!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"I always told Tousen-san that he shoulda stuck ta raising puppies and kittens instead of brats."

"Gin you and I both know how Kaname felt an instant connection to that child, a gift from the angels, the boy gave him back his sight. He wouldn't dare to even dream of separating himself from such a miracle."

"Hm 'spouse yer right but I still don't see why he didn't just send the brat off to boarding school along with the rest of the kiddies."

"Kaname has never had much confidence in the private school education system."

"Hmm is that why you agreed to have yer own lot home schooled up until they reached their mid-teens?"

"That's one reason."

"What's the other reason?"

"That, you will have to ask Kaname."

()()()()()()((((((()

(New View)

_**Urahara's Auto Service**_

A black suede boot with a thin purple ribbon came down on top of the trunk of a car with a careless thunk!

"Found anything yet, Soifon?"

A partially covered head of black hair came into view as Soifon rises from her crouching position so she can greet (the single greatest woman to ever grace the world with her presence) Shihoin Yoruichi.

"Nothing visible Yoruichi-sama but I do detect the slightest scent of man spunk."

"Oh?" Youruichi's cat like eyes glitter "Sounds like our boy Sousuke had some night huh?"

Soifon wrinkled her fox like nose in distaste "Is it really necessary for me to clean the upholstery Yoruichi-sama? Couldn't Urahara just hire someone else?"

"Nah, Kisuke doesn't trust just anyone with his prized lady, you know?"

()()()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

_**'Ya sure you're gonna go through with this, King?'**_

_'Yeah I'm sure now beat it! I'm not going to walk in there and have everyone look at me like I'm an escaped mental patient.'_

()()()()()()()()()

"The doctor is not in yet, have a seat."

The receptionist was weird. Ichigo had always thought so. There was just something almost inhuman, something slightly robotic about her. Even the way she curled the telephone cord around her painted fingernail, it seemed stiff, rehearsed.

The desk she sat behind was virtually empty, only a single picture frame of herself posing along with an exotic looking man, they were standing in front of some science and technology center, blank faced and almost creepy.

Ichigo shook his head and picked a seat near the exit door.

()()()()()(

Ichigo had never been fond of the whole 'strip down to your underwear and wait on the freezing cold ass table' routine.

Even though a doctor's office should be sanitary, Ichigo did not enjoy placing his barely clad ass on anything but the comfort of his own bed at home.

He always had a rather sensitive body and so naturally, hard surfaces did not hold much appeal for him.

()()(()()()()()()

"Afternoon, ah I see they sent me a new one,"

Ichigo eyed the freaky looking man who had just entered the room warily. The man's nametag read, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

"Um I think there's been some kind of mistake, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo and I made an appointment to see Ishida-sensei."

"Hmm," the man is not paying attention to the boy, rather he is shifting through a small stack of papers "Let's see now—are you here for the breast implants?" he looked up and waited for the orange haired youth to answer.

"HELL NO!"

Ichigo could hear Shirosaki cackling wildly inside of his head.

"First off, I'm a guy and Second, I'm just here for a standard checkup."

"Hmm not the implants," Mayuri murmured absentmindedly as he continued shuffling through the pile "Breast reductions?"

Ichigo glared at the man.

"You know you already have quite a flat chest, as your doctor I wouldn't advise a reduction," Mayuri stated before returning his attention to the papers

WTF? Seriously why him? What did he ever do to deserve this?

_**'Man King where the hell did they find this guy anyway? The African Jungle? I'm mean just check out that head gear!'**_

_Hell if I know and I thought I told you to go away!'_

_**Yeah you did but I figure ya didn't really mean it.'**_

"Hmm interesting, I see so you are here about the new male pregnancy formula, third one this morning," Mayuri stood up "I'll just grab it and then you can be on your way," he exited the room, a slight spring in his step.

_**Now's your chance King. Grab your clothes, open the window and jump!'**_

_For once Shirosaki, I think I'll have to agree with you'_

()()()()()()

(Aizen)

"Father would it be alright if Shiro-chan and I go for a little walk while we're waiting for our food to arrive?"

Such manners. It is almost as though the girl who sits with him now and the girl who threw herself at him last night, are two entirely different people.

An illusion, nearly perfected. He's almost proud of her.

"Don't go far Hinamori I do not want to find a reason to come and fetch you."

"Oh father honestly," the girl offers him an almost coy smile "You needn't worry so much. I'm almost sixteen you know?" she sets down her napkin, rises to her feet and moves in for a kiss, frowning when he turns his head away from her.

Really, she should know better than to try a move like that right here out in public.

He grabs her wrist (using very little force, for it is not necessary because her bones are so very fragile) and shoots her a warning look.

Aizen does not get some kind of perverse pleasure out of watching the girl shrink into herself, the light in her already dim eyes, fading even more.

Rather he finds himself almost pitying this poor creature once more. He releases his grip on her wrist but does not let her leave just yet.

Instead he raises his hand to her delicate cheek, feeling the raised skin there.

She looks as though she wants to say something.

"Do not keep Hitsugaya-kun waiting."

Aizen lowers his hand and the girl walks away.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH. If I did Inoue Orihime would cease to exist!

Dedicated to BonneNuit because she has the power of persuasion.

Warnings: AU, Uke!Ichi, switching views, AiIchi, OthersIchi, OthersAi, mentions of other BL pairings and non-BL pairings, Language, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, jealous, dirty minds, crack bits, hinted mpreg, and all those goodies that come from fanfics.

Shades of Orange

Part 4

**~ Of Planning, Confessing and Stalking~**

Remember this:

'**Now's your chance King. Grab your clothes, open the window and jump!'**

_/'For once Shirosaki, I think I'll have to agree with you'/_

**Okay now rewind to earlier that same morning…**

**(Starrk)**

_Everything had its purpose. No matter how ridiculous it might seem. Of course what he and his little half sister, Lilinette were about to do was not ridiculous at all, rather it was necessary—if not a little childish_

_Hiding in the laundry hamper was no easy task for a tall guy like Coyote Starrk._

_His legs were beginning to cramp up, protesting against the tight enclosed pace—he ignored it and directed his focus to the clock hanging above the wall._

_It read 6:30 am._

_Which meant the good doctor would be on his way shortly. At the moment the man was most likely in the lounge room, pouring himself a cup of pure black coffee and spreading exactly one teaspoon of cream cheese on his French onion bagel._

_He would finish both the bagel and the coffee in under 8.5 seconds. Then he would reach into the pocket of his lab coat and pull out a single silk embroidered handkerchief in order to wipe the sides of his permanent down turned mouth._

_After this, the man would deposit the empty Styrofoam coffee cup into the recycle bin and head for staircase, never the elevator._

_Because elevators were better suited for the lazy._

_At exactly 6:45am, the good doctor would walk down the hallway and pass the very same hamper that he and Lilinette were currently hiding out in._

"_Starrk how much longer do we have to stay in here?" Lilinette whined at his side._

_Not that he could blame the young girl. He was quite aware of how vigorous her schedule could be, even on a short day, Lilinette didn't get much sleep._

_Mmm sleep did sound pretty good right about n—_

_The sound of footsteps reached Starrk's ears, quickly snapping him to attention._

_6:45am on the dot._

_The good doctor was only less than a foot from the hamper._

_So began countdown._

_Starrk nudged Lilinette, prompting the girl to ready her self._

_A grin and a thumbs up…_

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1_

"_GO!"_

_Sure there was probably a more productive way to ambush someone—but throwing a blanket over the guy's head was much more fun!_

_()()()()()()_

"_Bad things happen to children who misbehave."_

_The doctor's tone carried a warning._

_Starrk found it rather amusing._

"_Well it's a good thing I'm not a child then, sensei." His usual drawl came out playful and teasing._

"_The girl is clearly a child."_

"_Hmm girl? I don't see a girl here, sensei."_

_He had sent Lilinette home since the young girl had an interview at 9am with Seireitei magazine._

"_Who are you?"_

_Starrk almost felt offended that the doctor didn't recognize him—ah but then again he was wearing a mask._

"_Does it really matter?"_

"_What exactly do you want from me?"_

_There was no trace of fear or uneasiness in the doctor's tone._

"_Nothing, nothing at all."_

"_Then why?"_

"_Why the ambush? Well you see I have this mission of sorts, in order to complete the mission you needed to be taken out of the picture."_

"_I could have you arrested you know?_

_There was a slight edge of warning in the doctor's tone._

"_Hmm well if it came to that (which it won't) I'd just break out anyway."_

"_You punk! What kind of game are you p—_

"_No games, sensei," a lazy smirk "I just need you to sit here for a good oh 5 hours or so."_

"_And do what twiddle my thumbs?_

_Ah sarcasm. Starrk could appreciate sarcasm._

"_You're kinda cute, sensei."_

_Flirting with his "hostage" was not part of the plan but Starrk rarely did anything purely for himself._

_In his mind he deserved a little reward._

_Not that there was anything remotely little about Ishida Ryuuken._

_()()()()()()_

"_So you threw a blanket over my head, dragged me into a storage room and tied me to a chair simply because you're playing a prank on some brat you're infatuated with?"_

"_Not quite. The berry has certainly captured my attention in more ways then one but he is not mine to play with."_

"_Then what is—_

"_A little birdie told me that the berry scheduled an appointment this afternoon, just a simple routine checkup."_

"_And? What does any of that have to do with me?"_

"_It's quite simple sensei, he's one of your patients."_

"_And?"_

"_We can't have that."_

"_Whose we?"_

"_I'm not at liberty to say."_

_()()()()()()_

_**(Halibel)**_

"_I can't thank you enough for your help, Nemu."_

"_Thank you's are not needed. Mayuri-sama is very dedicated to his work, as am I."_

"_Yes well just remember you can't actually inject Kurosaki with anything, you are only to give him a bit of a start, keep him on his toes."_

"_Your smirk indicates that you are getting some kind of enjoyment out of this."_

"_That's because I am."_

()()()()()()

**And Now…**

Back to the present

**(Ichigo)**

'_**Ya know I was just joking King, ya didn't have to haul your ass all the way home to ma and pa.'**_

_/Look I don't want goat face examining me but I have no choice since Ishida's old man was out sick or whatever.'/_

'_**But what exactly are you gonna say—ah hey pops so last night I let some strange guy shove his tongue down my throat and now I'm wonderin' if ya can do a quick check up and tell me if I caught herpes or somethin?**_

_I don't have to give him any details. I could just make something up. Tell him I think might've caught a cold or something.'Which wouldn't be too far fetched since I was out in the cold for a good 30 minutes while walking to Rukia's last night.'_

_**Hmm, right I'll give ya that one!'**_

()()()()()()

As the old age routine goes, Ichigo enters his house only to be greeted with a flying kick (which he naturally blocks) with a counter blow.

Isshin goes flying into the nearest wall. A loud crash is heard.

The man grins like the idiot he is and proceeds to babble on about how 'oh so proud he is to see that his lovely son has not let his guard down.'

Karin shakes her head and berates the man for his stupidity.

Masaki hides a giggle behind her hand and informs Ichigo that 'Yuzu is preparing lunch in the kitchen'

()()()()()()

"So when do you and Rukia-chan plan to tie the knot?"

"Darling, we've been over this before, Ichigo does not have any romantic feelings for Rukia."

"Nonsense. He's only nervous that she'll decline his proposal—never fear son, daddy's here." The man leaned over (much to Ichigo's irritation) to whisper in his ear "I'll let you in on a little secret: All Kurosaki men have that one special thing that no woman can resist. Do you want to know what that is?"

_**King let me out just for a minute or two, I'll shut him up good. You can carry on with the rest of your life.'**_

The offer was certainly tempting.

There was a loud clinking of a fork, followed by the scraping of a chair.

"This is stupid! Ichi-nii why don't you just come out and tell them that you ARE gay already!"

He loved Karin—really he did—but sometimes he wished she were more like Yuzu, the quiet observant type who would let him handle things his way.

Ichigo didn't really care all that much about goat face's opinion, it was his mother's opinion that meant the most to him.

Above all else he did not want to disappoint her.

"Is this true Ichigo?"

"Ha-ha-ha of course it's not true Masaki, your daughter is just pulling your chain, aren't you Karin?"

"Isshin, stop!"

Ichigo swallowed hard. His mother was not the type of woman to get angry often. And even on the rare occasion that she did, it was more of a silent anger. She'd shut herself off from the rest of the world and just stew.

"Ichigo may I speak with you in the other room please?"

Her tone was soft, sweet, accepting.

"Hey now we're family. We don't keep secrets."

There was irritation in his father's tone.

"This isn't about keeping secrets Isshin. Our son obviously has something important going on in his life right now and you sitting there cracking jokes isn't helping."

"Oh but honey I—

"Ichigo is our son and we are proud of him no matter what, aren't we?"

"Of course we are I just," a sigh "I really like Rukia-chan, I wanted her to be my daughter in law."

"I like Rukia too but we don't need her to marry our son in order for her to be considered part of our family," a delicate smile "she already is."

"Then how come she doesn't come over anymore?"

"Oh for the love of—that's what this is all about? Oh Isshin, honestly." Masaki rolled her eyes.

Ichigo could feel the sides of his mouth twitching into a smile.

Some how he could tell things would be okay.

_**Kumba-fuckin-ya!**_

Shirosaki cackled wildly.

"Right, well since this is apparently the hour of confession I might as well tell all of you my little secret," dramatic pause "I slept with my soccer coach."

"WHAT?"

()()()()()()

_**Wow King who'd thought ya sis was such a dirty girl!**_

_/ZAN!/_

()()()()()()

**1 week later…**

Ichigo didn't carry his cell phone with him often. Found it to be more trouble than it was worth. Or just flat out annoying.

9 messages from Rukia.

2 messages from Inoue.

1 message from an unknown caller.

He raised a brow at that.

1 message from Renji.

It had been awhile since he'd last seen his tattooed friend. So instead of heading back towards his dorm room, Ichigo changed his course of direction and hopped on the bus

()()()()()()

He was used to the tattooed redhead answering the door with little to nothing on but why did the guy even bother to put on a towel when it barely covered anything to begin with?

()()()()()

"Is something burning?" Upon entering the redhead's apartment, the overwhelming smell of smoke and grease invaded Ichigo's nostrils.

"Nah, that was an hour ago."

"Seriously? Has burning become like a weekly routine with you or something?"

"I didn't do it on purpose—Sza and Lu were on—and you know how I can't get enough of them." The redhead plopped down on the tacky zebra stripped couch, legs sprawled.

Ichigo averted his gaze.

Sometimes he wished Renji wasn't so—

_**What's the matter King? Jealous?**_

_I thought Zan-_

_**Ya thought wrong!**_

_Asshole!_

_**Technically ya are calling yourself one.'**_

_Arrg why the hell must you-_

'_**Be so devilishly sexy? Why thank you King, I'm flattered.'**_

"Eh Ichigo, you okay man?"

_Damn it Shirosaki, now Renji is lookin at me all funny/_

_**Hmm hate to break it to ya King but the pineapple and you will never cross that line.**_

_You idiot! Not like that, 'Sides Renji's like a brother or something.'_

"Ichigo snap out of it man, you're startin to worry me—should I call Rukia or somethin'?"

"No sorry I just—I was lost in thought."

"Uh okay well I'm all for daydreamin' but there's actually somethin' I'd like to discuss with you."

The seriousness in the redhead's voice was a bit startling.

"What's wrong Renji?"

"Nothin's wrong exactly it's just," the tattooed male started playing with his long braided pony tail "You know the night you guys all went to Ishida's fashion parade or whatever?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I wanted to join you guys, really I did but—

"But?"

"I well—I met someone,' the last part was said so low, Ichigo had to strain his ears in order to catch it.

"Yeah and?"

"No! You don't understand man, I mean I met someone and we went home together!"

"Uh okay."

Was there a point to this long drawn out pausing between each and every sentence?

Renji had brought plenty of people back to his home many times. Why did he care what Ichigo would think? It's not like they were roommates or anything.

"Ichigo man I uh—what I'm trying to say is—uh promise not to laugh?"

Laugh? Seriously? Was he joking? Since when did Ichigo laugh? He wasn't the laughing kinda guy.

"We've known each other for years Renji, you've done a lot of stupid shit but did I ever once turn my back or laugh at you?"

"Well no but—

This was ridiculous. Surely his friend didn't think him to be some judgmental jackass, did he?

"Just say it already!"

"Uh well you see it's like this," Renji's eyes were looking everywhere but him. He kept twisting and tugging his long braid "You know how you go through life thinkin' you've got it all figured and stuff right—and then one day things just BAM! Change—and you honestly don't know what the hell to think about anythin' anymore and Fuck its hot in here, I need a drink!"

Renji jumped to his feet and ran towards the refrigerator. He pulled out a case of beer and quickly downed 2 of them.

Ichigo raised a brow.

Since when did A) Renji drink? And B) How had the redhead managed to purchase beer in the first place?

4 or 5 beers later…

The tattooed redhead seemed more relaxed now. He walked over to the couch and plopped back down, ready to finish his story.

"Right, so anyway as you know I've only ever dated older women because young girls just don't do it for me right?"

"Are you saying that's changed?"

"No—well not exactly. You see well let's say—this is just hypothetical of course but let's just say I—remember strictly hypothetical—say I s—hypothetical, don't forget that

Renji was acting incredibly strange.

"Don't make that face man! I'm tryin' to tell you something here—somethin' big happened to me the other night and I uh shit! Fuck! To hell with it I'll just come out and say it," a deep breath "I got fucked in the ass and I liked it! There I said it."

Um. Okay? What the hell? Of all the things the redhead could have said—that was the least –er right

Last time Ichigo checked.

Renji was A) 100 percent straight.

And B) A very proud individual.

Even if the tattooed redhead experienced something outside of his usual comfort zone, he'd sooner slice off his tongue then share it out loud in a casual conversation.

_**Look at it this way King, now he'll have a new kind of pride.'**_

_/Shut up Shirosaki I'm trying to think!'/_

The voice in his head fell silent.

Ichigo chewed on his bottom lip.

Okay so apparently on the same night that he met Aizen, his tattooed friend had discovered a new side to himself.

Huh what were the odds?

"So uh you're not too freaked out or anythin' are you—cuz I mean I figured you wouldn't be sittin' here if you were and Rukia said you—the redhead had long since abandoned his seat on the couch, he was now pacing the room.

It was driving Ichigo a little crazy.

"Look Renji I well—well uh when you say you loved it does that mean you loved the uh _sex part_ or are you saying you loved the idea of just letting someone else take control, getting caught up in the moment?"

"All of it man. Don't get me wrong! Shit hurts like a bitch, but in a good way ya know?"

No he did not know. But he might like too. This much he was beginning to realize.

"Why do you ask—I mean I'm glad you're not freaked but uh—

"Sit down. I have uh—a few things of my own to tell you."

()()()()()

"So you made out with a taxi driver?"

"No. The guy was impersonating a taxi driver."

"Uh okay and he didn't like force ya into it or anythin' did he?"

"Well here's the thing—I don't really know how it happened, swear I felt like I was possessed or something at the time."

"Possessed? That's some seriously fucked up shit Ichigo," the redhead looked thoughtful for a moment "Hey you think the taxi was haunted or somethin'?"

"If that were the case, Inoue and Rukia would have felt it too."

"Hypnosis maybe? I know a guy in my psyche class, he's really into to that whole mind control bit."

"The idea did cross my mind but—

"But what?"

"Well then I had a dream about him?"

"Shit. Seriously?"

A nod.

"Okay now you've really got a problem."

"Tell me about it."

"I'm serious Ichigo, sounds to me like the guy really did put you under some kinda hypnosis—could be dangerous. He could like lead you right off a cliff or somethin'

Renji started pulling at his hair again, no doubt thinking up the worst- case scenarios.

It was most unsettling.

Ichigo laughed nervously "Hey uh Renji I think we're jumping ahead of ourselves here, I mean there was probably no weird hypnosis or anything, it's probably just my im—

"No Ichigo! Trust me that's not normal!"

Ichigo wasn't sure he could continue to sit here and watch the redhead any longer—he made a move to rise to his feet when

_**DING DONG!**_

()()()()()()

"Kurosaki."

Ulquiorra took stalking to a whole new level, now he was following him all the way to his friends' house?

WTF?

"Ulquiorra look uh now's not really a good time t—

"Who is it Ichigo?" Renji asked as he came up from behind.

'_One of my stalkers.'_

Green eyes narrowed at the newcomer.

"Kurosaki, who is this person?"

"Hey you this is my fuckin' property you're blowin' your superior breath on, I could remove you ya know?"

"And knock Kurosaki down in the process?" A snort "Smooth."

"Hey you!"

"Renji enough! Look, Ulquiorra is just a guy from my college, he's just over protective of me or something."

_Why the hell am I making excuses for this weirdo?_

"What the fuck Ichigo? We've been friends since forever and you're tellin' me you're takin this guys side?"

"I'm not taking sides Renji I just—

The redhead was acting like an angry alley cat, hissing fiercely, hair whipping violently in the wind.

"Whatever. Look why don't you come back later or soemthin' I'm gonna take a shower."

With that, Renji shoved him unceremoniously out the door and slammed it shut!

"Well now that he's out of the way let's go for ice cream?"

That weird beaming look was back on Ulquiorra's face "My treat!"

Against his better judgment and the fact that he really had no desire to eat something cold in December, Ichigo found himself agreeing.

()()()()()()()()

**(Ulquiorra)**

Ulquiorra Shiffer was not the type of person to apologize. But sometimes it was necessary.

After all he had taken the harmless prank too far last week.

It was starting to eat away at his conscience and he didn't like it.

He knew he was taking a big risk by tracking down Kurosaki like this but he just couldn't leave things as they were.

Which was why he was trying to right the wrong—returning the orange haired male's clothes.

Kurosaki just looked at the duffel bag strangely "What is this?"

"Clothes."

Ulquiorra felt no need to lie or draw this (Bonding Time—Neliel had called it) out any further.

If he was in the presence of Kurosaki for too long—things might happen.

A fine orange brow was raised. Kurosaki was wary. Well that was perfectly understandable but—

"It's not what you think, go ahead and open it."

Kurosaki made no move to unzip the maroon colored duffel bag, rather he opted for finishing off the rest of his ice cream instead.

Ulquiorra felt an all too familiar sensation come over him.

Damn this always happened when he was in the presence of Kurosaki.

He shifted in his seat.

And was grateful that Kurosaki hadn't caught on to his quickly rising problem.

"If you'll just take the bag, I can be on my way."

He didn't mean to sound so pushy but his pants were growing unreasonably tight and really did Kurosaki have to lick his lips like that?

()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo was beginning to think that there was a lot more to this unexpected visit from Ulquiorra.

Then again—since when did a stalker need a reason?

And what was in the bag?

The guy said clothes but what kind?

Ichigo was not in the mood to be forced into dresses and whatever other embarrassing ensembles Ulquiorra might have in store for him.

The guy was never very talkative but his eyes told a story.

Ulquiorra appeared to be a very guarded individual, one who felt it unnecessary to properly explain himself. A guy who could appreciate the strange and unusual because he himself was strange and unusual.

As Ichigo finished off the last of his ice cream, he thought back to his first encounter with the pale faced, green-eyed male sitting across from him.

()()()()()()

**FLASHBACK**

"_Hurry up Keigo!"_

"_I'm going as fast as I can, Ichigo."_

"_Well you need to go faster. The professor could come back any minute and if he catches us i—_

"_And do what? Expel us? This is college Ichigo so I doubt something like that would happen—and even if it did, well…Ukitake would probably just let you off the hook anyway."_

"_What the hell makes you say that?"'_

"_Oh please, everyone knows that next to Rukia, you're Ukitake's favorite."_

"_Favorite? Do you realize how ridiculous you sound right now."_

"_People talk Ichigo—and you're just in denial because you don't want to admit_

_The sound of footsteps.._

"_Shh!"_

"_Shit hurry up, he's coming!"_

"_Yeah right and where exactly do you expect me to put these things?"_

"_I don't know, put em' down your pants or something."_

"_No way man! You're the one who thought of this, put it down your pants."_

"_There will be no pulling down of any one's pants."_

_WTF?_

_The sound of a monotone voice made Ichigo jump. Keigo certainly did not help when he decided to hide underneath the desk._

_Not Ukitake._

_But a guy Ichigo had never seen before._

_Jet black hair falling limply at his sides, pale skin, heavy eye make up, average height, thin, almost inhuman looking._

_Emerald greens locked onto Ichigo's own brown ones. Not once did they blink._

_He didn't know who this guy was. Nor did he really care._

_And he sure as hell did not appreciate having some stuck up newbie sticking his nose in business that had nothing to do with him!_

_Ichigo opened his mouth to tell the guy off but a flash of light temporarily distracted him._

_It dawned on him a few minutes later._

_The guy (whoever he was?) had snapped a picture of him._

_The question was why?_

"_With this, I now have you right where I want you." Voice still monotone._

_With in the blink of an eye the guy moved so quickly, he was now practically on top of Ichigo._

_WHAT THE HELL?_

"_Do not go far, Kurosaki Ichigo, I will return."_

_With that he turned and left._

xxxx

()()()()()()

A loud slam and a flash of black and green disappearing round the corner brought Ichigo back to the present.

He looked up.

Seemed Ulquiorra was gone.

()()()()()()()

**(Renji)**

Abarai Renji was not the kind of guy who could be grouped into the happy-go-lucky category. Life wasn't all rainbows and roses.

He had learned that the hard way when his parents had basically kicked him out of the house before he had even reached the age of 13.

_(Course that might be partially due to the fact that he and Rukia had fooled around in her swimming pool. It had been harmless really. She simply had dared him to pull down his pants and he had—they had no idea that her older brother was lurking around the corner—pompous 16 year old that he was—major suck up and tattle tail—As a result Renji had been banned from the Kuchiki mansion for evermore)_

But that wasn't really the point. The point was being kicked out had sucked. Royally.

And the only words that his bastard of a father had offered him were…

"Sonny boy when life throws challenges at you, keep your feet planted to the ground, grit your teeth and fight!"

Fight is exactly what Renji had done. Fought so much he eventually wound up in Juvie hall aka **Kariya Jin's Correctional Facility for Troubled Youths**.

6 boys plus himself made it 7 in total.

But the only one who mattered was the boy with the mandarin orange hair.

Said boy was at least 1 and 1⁄2 years younger than Renji him self had been. Short, thin and constantly scowling. His eyes changed color based on his mood (brown to gold to silver) His behavior had been far more animalistic than human. All kinds of rumors had flown around.

The orange haired boy was not really a human at all but a real life shape shifter.

The orange haired boy had 2 other personalities accompanying him at different times—one a vicious albino kid, the other—an old man who could float or fly or whatever.

Renji hadn't believed any of the rumors—but he was curious to learn more about the strange orange haired boy.

And so he did what all the boys did in order pass the time, he went right up to the orange haired boy and challenged him to a fight.

And got his ass kicked!

Course Renji was not one to back down. Not one to admit defeat. So he wiped his lip, stood back up and challenged the boy again.

They fought and fought until the orange haired boy knocked him unconscious.

Renji didn't wake up until 3 days later.

When he did, he certainly hadn't expected to

1) Find the kid who put him in the hospital to be sitting there on the end of his bed. Or 2) For the kid to look so damn guilty, then apologize and finally introduce himself as

"_Kurosaki Ichigo."_

_Renji had been pissed and embarrassed._

_And he damn sure didn't want pity._

_He had been 3.7 seconds away from wiping the floor with the orange haired kid, now known as Ichigo_

_But then as luck had it (or not so much!)_

_Another boy had intervened._

"_Sado Yasutora or simply Chado"_

_Surprise!_

_Chado and Ichigo appeared to know each other._

_Heh, small world!_

_And the surprises just kept coming …_

_The two boys were not delinquents at all—they were best friends who had decided that spending a summer a correctional facility would be a lot more fun than a sports camp._

_Renji (quite naturally) had not taken their confession well—_

_He had been outraged._

_Who the hell in their right mind would think Juvie hall would be cool?_

_He had been 1.3 seconds away from wiping the floor with the duo when Ichigo turned to him and said_

"_Get dressed. We're leaving today and so are you."_

_The rest as they say, is history—Ichigo invited him into his home—The Kurosaki's had treated him like their third son (with Ichigo as their first, Chado as their second)_

_Renji had been provided with food, clothing, shelter and a good education._

()()()()()

Renji owed Ichigo big time.

Returning the favor was long over due.

But better late than never right?

"Mizuiro, hey its Renji."

"Yeah, the tattooed pineapple, any way look I need a favor."

"Not for me, for Ichigo."

"No he's not here. Look I just need you to track down someone for me. Think you can do that?"

"As soon as possible. 2 days from now or even tomorrow."

"Hey I'll let you get back to your lovin' just as soon as you—

"Ha-ha-ha very funny, anyway—Can you do it or not?"

"Name?"

"Aizen Sousuke."

"Yeah? Okay. Thanks. Bye."


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH

Shades of Orange

PART 5

**Parental Instincts and Oh So Many Other Things**

**(Ichigo)**

When Renji had said that he should come back later, Ichigo hadn't known that the red head had been referring to getting together to have dinner with the old gang.

()()()()()()

"I swear it happened man."

"Sure it did, in your dreams."

"Hey!"

That was the thing about walking in on the middle of a conversation, he never could quite figure out what was going on.

But if history was anything to go by, it probably meant Keigo had told just told a story and no one believed a word of it.

No real surprise there.

"Swear what happened?" Ichigo asked upon entering the living room.

Several pairs of eyes lit up at the sight of him. "Ichigo!"

"Don't just stand there you big dummy, come over and give your friends a proper greeting." Rukia, ever the demanding all sparkly eyed and drunk? The way she seemed to be falling out of her top pointed to yes.

"Friends? You mean you aren't just a bunch of freeloaders?" the orange haired male teased.

"Har, har seems like you're in a good mood Ichi."

"Hn. Not really and who are you?"

The guy had red dye on the ends of his long dark ponytail, skin, the color of chocolate liquor blended with red desert sand, eyes so pale they were almost color-less, a toned body and a rather unusual clothing style.

"Doncha remember when we met last summer at the Pier?"

"Um no I think I'd remember someone who liked like some kind of (_sexy_) new age reaper."

"Now I'm a bit insulted, maybe I should just come over there, kick your ass and knock some sense into ya?"

"Kazeshini, knock it off!" another male with sandy colored skin, aqua green colored hair, and eyes like shards of light blue tinted glass bopped the darker skinned male on the head before turning his gaze onto Ichigo "This idiot fell off the Pier last summer, would've drowned if you hadn't jumped in and saved him."

"Ah geez Maru, didya have to make me sound so damn lame?"

"I am merely recounting the events as they happened."

Ichigo furrowed his brows in thought. The story about the guys at Pier sounded vaguely familiar but he was bad with faces. "Uh okay so you are Kazeshini and Maru was it?"

"Hyourinmaru, as for last names? Well I honestly couldn't tell you, Kazeshini and I were raised in foster care."

Well that was just a little too much information. Not to mention quite depressing.

"Well uh it's good to see you again but wait that doesn't explain—I mean how did you meet Renji?"

"Oh that? Well my roommate attends the same college as Abarai."

"Hn. Small world."

_**DING DONG**_

"Ichigo do me a favor and get the door."

"Sure thing, Renji."

()()()()()()()

He sure hadn't expected to find Tatsuki, dressed in a navy blue wife beater and tight jeans, to be sitting out on the front steps.

She rose to her feet in order to greet the orange haired male.

And then quite with out warning, Tatsuki picked Ichigo up and spun him around as though she was the guy and he was the chick.

It was a little humiliating.

'_I think I prefer the Tatsuki I saw that night on the runway.'_

After a few minutes the young woman with short cropped black hair set Ichigo back down on his feet.

"You're getting too light Ichigo, what have you been starving yourself or something?" she punched him in the shoulder.

"Kurosaki-kun we're just about ready t—Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue squealed in surprised delight. She ran over to give the shorter woman a hug. "When Abarai-kun told us that he contacted you but hadn't received an official answer on whether or not you'd be able to join us tonight I was honestly quite devastated but none of that matters now because you're here, you're really here!"

Ichigo watched the two best friends reunite for a few minutes and then went back inside the house.

()()()()()

"Ichigooo stop ignoring me I've known you longer than any of these people."

Ah Keigo, always crying out for attention.

Ichigo dug his finger into his ear "Anyone else hear a strange buzzing noise?"

"What? Oh come on surely you can see me right, Ichigooo!"

"Pipe down Keigo! I'm trying to watch Mirajane." (1)

"She told me to pipe down—I really do exist!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes as the plain looking brown haired male cried out with joy "I EXIST!"

"Yeah you exist. Now sit down! All of that spinning is giving me a headache."

Ishida looking very un-Ishida-ish.

Blue-black hair mussed, glasses askew, shirt partially open revealing his toned pale chest, hands clutching the side of his sweaty forehead quite pathetically.

Shit! How much beer had Renji given them?

Ichigo quickly surveyed the room.

The only ones who didn't appear to be intoxicated were Chado and Mizuro.

Although the same thing couldn't be said about the petite plum haired chick hanging off Mizuro's arm.

"DINNER IS READY! BRING YOUR ASSES TO THE KITCHEN BEFORE I EAT ALL OF IT!"

"Oh my head." Ishida let out a pathetic moan and fell face first into Chado's crotch.

Ichigo quickly averted his gaze and made his way towards the kitchen.

Not that it was a very long walk, he simply had to move a few steps and he was there.

()()()()()()()

**(Aizen)**

Aizen Sousuke did not appreciate being ignored. If one should choose to ignore him for too long, things might get ugly.

He felt no real to desire to get blood on his hands but he would do what was necessary.

Force was just a last resort though—it had barely been a week and half.

Perhaps the boy simply had not bothered to answer his phone yet.

Young people—ah they were so very flighty, never could quite make up their minds about anything. (what to have for breakfast, what to wear on a first date, what television program to watch)

Of course Aizen himself had never been so indecisive during his childhood or in his teens—his mother hadn't permitted it.

Yes that was it—the boy simply hadn't made up his mind yet.

Not a problem. Without lifting a single finger, Aizen could easily bring the boy to him.

Then again—should he really resort to such an underhanded scheme? Mind play (while it certainly did have its perks) was not necessary.

Aizen was fully capable of bringing others to him without games.

It wasn't in his nature to be rash—to jump without thinking.

The boy HAD wanted him that night he had sensed it, long before he had tickled the youth's brain cells.

Aizen had simply brought the boys' hidden desires to the surface.

For no human (no mater how guarded) could truly mask all of they're inner secrets.

Not even Aizen himself (though he had certainly tried on more than one occasion)

Time, it was all a matter of time.

The boy, Kurosaki Ichigo, would come to him.

"Uh-oh I know that face, is our little Sou-kun thinking naughty thoughts?"

"I think he is, Kisuke."

Urahara. Shihoin. Two of the most annoying individuals Aizen had ever met.

"Did you have a reason for coming here or—

"We're here for the party of course!" Yoruichi's cat-like eyes sparkled brightly. "Where is the birthday girl?"

"Obviously she is not here."

Hinamori was most likely somewhere at the other end of the house pestering Hitsugaya-kun.

Urahara snorted "We gathered that much."

"Then kindly show yourselves to the door."

"Now, now Sousuke-kun don't make me bend you over my knee and spank you, " Yoruichi teased as she made her way around the room, stopping to turn and look out the window.

Aizen was not the least bit amused.

"The official party does not start until 8pm sharp, surely you can find some other way to entertain yourselves until that time?"

"First you changed the day, now you changed the time. I'm beginning to think poor Hinamori-chan won't be having a party at all."

"The party was shifted to a different day and time at her request. A good parent should always listen to their children."

"Really?" the blond let out a snort, "And I suppose you're going to tell us that she was also the one who decided to celebrate her birthday in December even though she was clearly born in June?"

Who the hell was this man to lecture him?

If Aizen were a lesser man he'd wring the older blond by his neck.

As it was…

"Hinamori was away at school during her birthday, so it is only natural that she should want to celebrate it during the winter break."

"A likely story," The man with dish water blond hair picked up the glass, crowned shaped paperweight lying on the desk and started tossing it up into the air. Treating it like it was a toy and not a nearly priceless antique. "I bet—no I _know w_hat really happened," pale gray eyes pinned themselves on dark brown "You turned her into your little live china doll again didn't you?"

The paperweight was slammed down onto the desk.

A speckle of spit flew out of Urahara's mouth and right into Aizen's face.

"Don't even try to deny it! Yoruichi and I both saw it, moments ago in fact, right before we interrupted you and your daily maniacal planning." Urahara sneered at him "That familiar glazed over look, the plastic smile, the practiced pose," the blond picked up the paperweight once more and then smashed it against the wall—missing Aizen's head by less than a inch.

"You disgust me! Thinking you can use innocent children as your own personal puppets!"

Back still turned to the window, the woman with mocha toned skin added "You'll slip up one day Sousuke," she spun around, cat-like eyes flashing dangerously "And when you do, I'll be right there to laugh in your arrogant, aristocratic face."

()()()()()()()

"My, my why the rush? The way those two just stormed outta here I was beginning to ta think yer office caught fire."

"Apparently Urahara and Shihoin believe me to be some kind of evil mastermind who has set out to corrupt and destroy the lives of all the innocent children around the world."

"Oh? And how exactly did they come to that sort of conclusion?"

_Yes, how indeed?_

()()()()()()()

**(Ichigo)**

Of course Ichigo should have seen this one coming. If he had just thought things through, the pieces would have come together.

But an intervention? Wasn't that just a tad bit extreme?

"Sit down Ichigo, this is for your own good." Rukia's voice was firm now—no longer intoxicated, as it had been earlier.

"That's right, we're doing this because we care, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue smiled warmly at him.

"Ichigo trust me man, you'll feel loads better when it's all out." Renji was nursing his final beer of the night.

"Anything that is said tonight will not be repeated out side of this circle," Ishida now looking more like his usual pompous self, addressed not only Ichigo but the entire group.

"What's going on? Are you on drugs Ichigo?" Keigo had just come out of the bathroom and his hands were still slightly damp.

"Sit down and shut up dummy!"

Chizuru poked the boy in the forehead.

"I'm not dumb!" Keigo whined.

"Shhh!"

"Oh I get it, this is like story time right?"

"Where did you guys find this kid anyway? He seems pretty retarded."

Kazeshini, apparently did not know how to censor himself.

Keigo wasn't really an idiot. His IQ was actually well over 210—it was just that he was starved for attention—of course Ichigo was the only one who knew this.

"If you bad mouth Keigo again I will get up out of this chair and personally kick your ass."

"Aw I feel so happy."

"Be quiet Keigo!"

"So for those of you that don't know the real reason for this little get together, we will tell you now." Rukia turned to the buxom brunette who was currently sitting on the end of a tacky yellow and maroon colored love seat. "Inoue, the lights please."

"Got em'"

"Oh thank you Kazeshini-san."

"Please just Kazeshini or Kaze, the san is not necessary."

"Ahem."

"Oh um sorry, please do continue."

"Right so it's like this—

"Um Abarai-kun perhaps it would be best if Kuchiki-san and I went first."

"She's right. Sit down Renji. You'll have your chance in a minute."

"Hmph, whatever."

Rukia grinned and then put a flashlight up to her face "Our story begins in a little place called Tickle Town-"

"Tickle Town?"

"Shh!"

"Now _**Tickle Town**_ is no ordinary place to live. It's special and only a small handful of people have actually seen it."

"Have you seen it Rukia-chan?"

"I have, the other night in fact."

Ichigo groaned inwardly.

Why did he have a feeling that this stupid tickle town place had something to do with him?

"Really?"

Seemed Keigo was enjoying it, at least.

"Shh!"

"Like all towns, Tickle Town had it's own history of unfortunate deaths and hauntings."

"Hauntings? Like Ghosts?"

"Close. This particular haunting," her voice went deeper "Is about a vehicle that picks up young men and _devours_ them in one fell swoop."

Devours as in? Okay perhaps now would be a good time to cover his ears.

"When you say devour you mean what exactly?"

"Think long and hard and I'm sure it will come to you, Keigo."

"So it's like a vehicle demon then?"

"Sure Keigo, that's exactly what it is."

"Cool and does it like drag the guy down to hell with him—do they oooh get to ride on the—

"No, there is no hell," Rukia smirked "Quite the opposite."

She was—now Ichigo knew she was.

"Well how can that be—I mean where else can a demon go besides—

"There is no hell!" Rukia's left brow twitched "Can I please continue the story?"

"Fine. But I still think it would make more sense if t—OW!"

"Oops my hand slipped."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the dark skinned male with pale iridescent eyes.

Kazeshini was beginning to get on his last nerve.

'_Keep it up asshole! You'll find out what happens.'_

_**Wanna give him a runnin start King?'**_

"Kurosaki-kun is everything alright?"

'_Nah doubt a guy like that needs one.'_

"Everything is fine Inoue, continue with your story."

_**Ya know maybe after you're done wiping the floor with that Kaze prick over there, ya could invite the pretty one out for breakfast or coffee or somethin'?'**_

'_Pretty one?'_

'_**The one who looks like he has an ice pick shoved up his ass.'**_

_Actually not that I was looking or anything but I thought he had a pretty nice ass. Wait! What the hell am I saying? Stop putting dirty thoughts in my head. Fuck off Shirosaki!'_

"Shit! He's doing it again. That's enough Rukia! Hit the lights."

Ichigo blinked.

What the hell was Renji talking about?

The only thing he'd been doing was sitting, as had been requested.

()()()()()()()()()

**Half an hour later**

Kaze, Maru, Chizuru, Keigo, Mizuro, Mizuro's girl and Tatsuki went home.

So now it was just Renji, Rukia, Chado, Inoue, Ishida and himself.

"It's that damn Aizen I'm telling you, he's completely fucked Ichigo's brain cells over, pretty soon the poor guy won't know left from right."

"Asshole! I'm standing right here."

"Look Ichigo I know you're probably kinda pissed but I had to do it—these guys deserve to know the truth."

"My business is my business."

"Not when it can put you in a freakin' coma!"

Oh not this again. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Coma? Are you sick Kurosaki-kun?"

"What is he talking about Ichigo?"

"Nothing. Renji is—he's just being an idiot, meddling in business that is not his."

"The way your eyes keep darting around the room, I'd say that Abarai might actually have a point for once, Kurosaki."

"Who the hell asked you? Since when do you give a damn about what goes on in my life anyway, Ishida?"

_He had always hated Ishida's holier-than-thou I know everything tone. But tonight it was really eating at him._

"Ichigo!" Rukia looked at him in disbelief.

_And Rukia what right did she have to look at him like that anyway?_

She wasn't his freakin' mother!

"**No I'm sick of this shit! All of you treat me like I'm some kind of idiot! You think I don't know, think I'm not aware of how fucked up my life is? Do you really believe I want to spend the rest of my existence fighting off perverts and clinging to my fucking virginity?**

**News FLASH! It doesn't matter—tell ya what, why don't I just unzip my pants, bend over right now and let all of you FUCK ME IN THE ASS—it could be like a royal gang-bang parade!**

He let out a humorless laugh.

—**Hell why stop there, why don't you just invite the entire neighborhood over—Rukia can get out her video camera, film the whole thing and then broadcast it all over the FUCKING WEB!"**

The blow to his face snapped Ichigo back to the land of sanity.

He'd never seen his best friend looking so completely and utterly disappointed in him.

"Chado, wait I—!"

Without a word, the taller male brushed past him, opened the door and stormed out into the night.

()()()()()()()

"Coffee, black."

"Wow kid you look like shit. Somebody run over your cat or something?"

"Its Ichigo and no I just pretty much hate my life right now."

"Whys that? You seem like a pretty well put together kid to me, got all your teeth, face is acne free, look like you're pretty ripped underneath that pricey down jacket, carrying a novel written by Shakespeare underneath the crook of your arm, so you're clearly educated. Doesn't sound like such a bad life to me."

"Its Ichigo. And I don't need to be lectured by some no name "wannabe bartender" so just give me my damn coffee!"

"Hey now don't go gettin' all pissy on me, I'm just sayin' a kid like you—

"I'm not a kid, I'll be 20 in 7 months."

"Heh, really? Well that changes things a bit— in one quick move, the "wannabe-bartender" lifted Ichigo off the stool he had been sitting on and pulled him towards the back room.

Sure he could scream—but its not like anyone was here—the place was deserted.

And really why should he bother?

At this point was there really a major difference between this spiky haired "wannabe bartender" and Aizen "the fake-taxi driver?"

"Oh sit down and chill the fuck out. I'm not gonna rape you."

Ichigo raised his eyes in order to get a better look at the "wannabe bartender"—the guy was attractive in a rugged and rough manly kind of way, his grin was a bit unsettling but not unpleasant. Hair pulled back by a bandana that was surely better suited for a biker—then again the guy was wearing a short-sleeved white t-shit and dark blue jeans underneath that stupid lemon cream-colored apron.

The man sat down, propping two large black leather booted feet onto the already cluttered desk.

"I don't care much for formalities—never have, so here's the deal I'll call you Ichigo, you call me Kenpachi. Sound good?"

'_**I think it would be best to nod or somethin' King.'**_

Ichigo nodded.

"Alright so let's just cut straight to the chase—You're miserable, I'm miserable. No one else is coming to this dump tonight, so let's just lock up the diner and go for a drive. I won't try anything funny, just want a little company—So how bout it Ichigo?"

"I don't even know you."

"What's there to know? I'm in my thirties, have one daughter who is away at college right now, wife left me 2 and 1⁄2 years ago—ran off with some fruit loop underwear model named Rose. I have one dog, she only bites if you grab her tail. I'm actually a construction worker but I'm watchin this place for a few days as a favor to a friend. I like red meat, toned bodies, sleeping in the nude and you. Now before you start whining about what a pervert I am, I want to reiterate that I will not touch you," tiny ink black colored pupils met his own light brown ones "_Unless_ you ask me to."

()()()()()()()

**Next Day…**

New viewpoint

**(Nel)**

She never saw the man on the motorcycle before. And it wasn't like the guy could hide himself for such a long time without any of them noticing.

So she reached a conclusion—the only conclusion that seemed to make any sense—Ichi was not quite as single as they had all been previously led to believe.

She couldn't recall ever seeing the orange haired young male looking so completely relaxed.

She never intended to make Ichi unhappy. None of them really had, things just sort of turned out that way.

()()()()()()

"You've been looking out that window for quite awhile Neliel, is there something of interest out there?"

Nel turned around at the sound of Halibel's voice "It's just—I think we might have a problem."

"A problem? What kind of problem?"

"Ichi has a lover, at least I think he does. I doubt the man is his father, the body language was far too intimate."

Halibel looked thoughtful as she processed this new information. After a minute she spoke "If Kurosaki really does have someone we'll just have to try twice as hard to pull him away from this mystery lover and closer to us."

"B-But Ichi has always been so nice I don't want to hurt him."

"We won't hurt him, I couldn't live with myself if I ever brought down any real kind of harm down on that boy."

"Should we contact U—

"Do not speak of that man's name, Neliel! You never know who could be listening in."

"Oh honestly Halibel, I don't think anyone around here is a threat to us, they're just college students."

"Just college students? Need I remind you of your brother's ex? We all believed her to be completely ordinary right up until she put a bullet in his—

"That was different!"

"Was it? I'm not pointing any fingers at Kurosaki but—

"His name is Ichi, why do you guys refuse to call him by his first name?"

"Because he has not yet earned it!"

Nel was getting tired of this. "And who made that decision? You? Grimm? Ulquiorra? Tell me Hali because I'd really like to know."

"Stop acting like a spoiled brat clinging to her teddy Neliel, the mission must always come first."

"Yeah well maybe I don't want to be a part of this stupid mission anymore. Ichi never did anything to us, why can't we just leave him alone?"

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Any minute they'd be rolling down her cheeks.

"Neliel doesn't want to make Ichi sad. Neliel cares about Ichi."

"There is no place for foolish human emotions—we are on a mission, one that will be completed."

()()()()()()

**(Aizen)**

"Wonderweiss, remember to keep your elbows off the table."

The short little blond boy of German decent babbled something unintelligible before moving his elbows down.

Aizen smiled at the scene. Kaname was always so very patient and gentle with Wonderweiss.

Treating the little "miracle child" with the utmost care.

"Seem ta have trained him well eh Tousen-san?"

"Please do not speak about Wonderweiss as though he is some kind of monkey in a circus, Gin."

"Monkeys are actually quite intelligent Tousen-san."

Tousen was not amused.

But Aizen was.

His two most trusted companions (although fiercely loyal to him) were as different as night and day.

The texture of Gin's hair was a lot like water (one could just slide their hands through it) Length, short and pale silver in color. Kaname's hair was more like a horses mane, long, easily tangled and dark brown (almost black in color) Where as Gin didn't mind having bangs fall into his face, Kaname kept his own hair held back in tiny braids.

Gin's skin was like the color of an off-white seashell, while Kaname's was a fine sepia tone.

Gin's eyes (on the rare occasion when open) are blood red in color. Kaname's eyes remained a pale milky violet sort of color even though his sight had been restored.

When speaking to those that do not know them, Gin's tone is often mocking, Kaname's arrogant.

During their free time… (Aizen does NOT deny his companions/business partners their own personal space) Gin goes out to gamble and picks up cute little blonds from casinos, bars and nightclubs. Kaname stays in and writes advice columns for the "Bankai Press" and creates new and exciting recipes for both traditional and non-tradition cuisines.

Outside the office, Gin likes to wear clingy, silky, and more often than not, somewhat revealing clothing attire in various shades of blue. Kaname prefers loose cotton fabrics in loud colors (orange and purple being his favorite)

"Hm check out the article on page 6, seems like a new gem was discovered on the night of that fashion show down on Quincy Street."

Before Aizen can question what his silver-haired companion is talking about, Gin set down a magazine right in front of him.

There in bold letters in the top right hand corner of the page, the headline reads.

**Everyone is Asking. But No One Seems to Know. Just who is this new age Aphrodite?**

There was nothing particularly fascinating about the article—it was pretty standard—Young fashion designer pulling off a successful show—blah blah blah—experienced some problems with some of the younger models—blah blah blah—ah here!

_**New Age Aphrodite, 5'9, estimated to be between 18-20 years of age, appears to have a tight knit friendship with the young designer and a few of Karakura's Top Models, charmed both critics and camera men alike with her pretty brown eyes, flawless skin and that too-cute-to-be-intimidating scowl.**_

Below the article there was a picture of "Aphrodite" posing with 2 other models, "Hercules" and "Hera"

Underneath all the layers of clothing, heavy makeup and hair extensions there was no mistaking it—"Aphrodite's" true identity.

It was the boy, Kurosaki Ichigo, flanking his right side, Kuchiki Rukia and flanking his left side, Inoue Orihime.

Aizen smirked and brushed his finger over the glossy photo.

_Ah I see. Now I understand why you were in such a rush that night.'_

TBC

**(1) Mirajane ~ character from Fairy Tail. Don't ask why I just think it would make sense for Chizuru to be a little fangirl gaga over this chick. Shrugs.**

**A/N 2) Kaze and Maru? LMAO…but really I couldn't resist, I figured I already mentioned Muramasa and Koga, why stop there?**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I will never ship Inoue with my favorite berry. Therefore I am not Kubo-sensei!

Warnings: Spelling, grammar, punctuation, run-ons, some OOC-ness, developing plot, switching views, AiIchi, KenIchi, GrimmIchi, NnoiIchi, OthersIchi, etc etc etc. YES THE FINAL PAIRING IS STILL AIZENxICHIGO. THIS HAS NOT CHANGED.

To: BonneNuit for always giving an honest opinion about things. If you don't know who this author is, shame on you.

The last chapter ended on the next morning…well we will pick up at what happened during the rest of that morning but first

Lets rewind to the night when Ichigo was with Kenpachi…it bleeds into the next morning.

Shades of Orange

PART 6

~ _Tainted LUST ~_

**(Ichigo)**

The only good thing about motorcycles was that one could never doubt how undeniably manly it was to own and drive a hog.

It was almost like telling the world

'_I'm your daddy and the rest of you are my bitches.'_

Of course Ichigo would never voice this thought out loud—

Not only did it sound crass and completely and totally out of character but it was almost like he was inadvertently stating that he was Kenpachi's bitch.

While sleeping with the older man wasn't a horrible thought—au contraire—

Calling the man "daddy" was just disturbing.

"If I wanted a silent companion I would've brought my neighbors' cat along."

It took Ichigo a moment to realize that Kenpachi had stopped driving, parked and was now speaking to him.

"Sorry I uh was just thinking—

Kenpachi grunted and then lifted him off the bike and set him on his feet.

Eyes sparkling, grin wide "Come watch the stars with me Ichigo."

Ichigo blinked stupidly "Stars?"

Kenpachi laughed, grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the edge of a cliff.

After a few minutes the older man sat down and patted the spot beside him.

Ichigo hesitated—

Suddenly being alone with this man he just met—watching the stars with Kenpachi—seemed far too intimate.

It didn't help that goat face kept popping up in his head

"_Go for it son, make daddy proud!"_

"_Just forget about everything and enjoy yourself."_

"_Prove that you're a man and make the first move!"_

The first move towards what exactly?

Just what exactly had gotten into him—why was he here? He'd just got into well it couldn't even be called a real fight since Chado hadn't said anything, just punched him and stormed out but still—

That is where he should be right now. Smoothing things over with his best friend, not sitting with some 30 something year old man who had a fetish for young boys like him self.

And yet—

Oh what harm could it do? It wouldn't be too forward of him to hug Kenpachi would it?

Even in his winter coat, Ichigo was quite cold but Kenpachi had been warm—looked even warmer now as he sat there waiting for—

What was the man waiting for exactly?

Sure he wanted Ichigo to come sit down—that much had been made clear but—

The orange haired youth bit his lip and for the first time—well maybe not the first time exactly—but still that time didn't really count—but now?

Now he was thinking of Aizen. Really thinking of Aizen. What did the man really do? Surely he didn't just come on to college students as part of some nightly routine did he?

Had he been a family man who just wanted to escape his nagging wife and noisy brats for a night?

Was he really the sneaky, evil pervert or was he—

Ichigo shook his head.

Why now was he having these thoughts?

Was it possible that a small part of him really did want to see Aizen again? Was he searching for the good in a man he didn't even know?

He'd been so disgusted with himself that night and he had felt like such a cheap—

Rukia and Inoue certainly hadn't helped—

And then Renji—fuck! What the hell had he been thinking anyway?

Why had he told the tattooed redhead anything when every one knew Renji never knew how to keep his mouth shut?

And then there were his stalkers to consider—

What was their true aim? Sure they had played pranks on him before and sure they had always had a perverted streak but—

What was with that look of guilt on Ulquiorra's face?

Ichigo still hadn't opened the duffel bag—

And what happened to Starrk?—the guy who used to sneak into his room every night —he hadn't seen the lazy eyed narcoleptic in quite a while—

Why the hell did any of this matter?

Why were his thoughts so random?

How had his thoughts gone from Kenpachi, to Aizen to his stalkers?

He had always been this weird?

He'd better make up his mind soon or Kenpachi would give up and drive off with out him.

Or worse demand that he 'Leave'

But it wasn't that simple—Ichigo felt like a light bulb had gone off—telling him to rethink everything that happened over the past few weeks—maybe then he could get a better grasp on what to do or where to go next. Maybe then—so he dug into his memories—

Going back to the night when the weirdness had begun—

Inoue had stuck her head through the window of the taxi, encouraged Rukia to do the same and then?

Ichigo wracked his brain so much that it hurt

Finally it came to him.

He had pushed Rukia and Inoue to the side and stuck his own head through the window—upon taking in the man's profile he had reached a conclusion—they were being deceived and yet it didn't matter—not really—he certainly hadn't voiced it out loud at that time—but he'd felt it rising, boiling up in him like lava—

He'd told Rukia and Inoue to sit in the back because he was worried for their safety—sure the thought did cross his mind but it was not the real reason—

No the real reason had been—he hadn't wanted to share the stranger "Aizen"—because he had been jealous? Yes jealous—

It was still a bit foggy but the more he thought about it the more he realized where his anger had really stemmed from.

He had been both jealous and sexually frustrated.

That's why he had snarled at Aizen like a wild animal—that's why he had spouted venomous words at the man—nearly lost control over his sanity because—

Because he couldn't stand the way the man kept looking at his two companions—

And as a result the spontaneous experience had been tainted.

He realized that now.

If he had just—he shook his head—that was then—this was now—

Rukia and Inoue weren't here

It was just Kenpachi and himself—so if he wanted to hug the man he would—and if he wanted to kiss the man?

Well if that should happen it would happen—

Yes whatever happened would be—

He was going to enjoy himself

And he'd start by curling his freezing body into Kenpachi's warm one.

()()()()()()

Kenpachi's house was like the rest of Kenpachi—it was warm and inviting—

It felt perfectly natural for Ichigo to curl up on the man's sofa—felt perfectly natural to let the man gnaw at his neck—it would probably bruise but—

()()()()()()

And in the end, he hadn't really done much but whine and mewl as Kenpachi grinded his nearly naked body against him—

Ichigo hadn't wanted it to end but he could no longer keep his eyes open and eventually fell asleep.

()()()()()()()()

The next morning…

Ichigo finds himself in Kenpachi's bed fully clothed and wet-free so he concludes that nothing except gnawing and a dry-humping session occurred.

And he's okay with that.

The door is pushed open and a second later, Kenpachi comes into view wearing a plain black apron and nothing else—he is carrying a tray in his hands.

It dawns on Ichigo that this man is serving him breakfast in bed but why?

He sits up—nope no soreness—but then why?

"I'm not letting you leave without having breakfast first."

"Oh but I—

"It is not a request. You fell asleep right before I could properly seduce you—so now as a consequence you have to eat breakfast."

The tray was piled with food.

"I can't eat all of that."

"Yes you can and yes you will."

Ichigo felt annoyed "Who the hell mph—

A forkful of pancake was shoved into his mouth silencing his would be protest.

If it didn't taste so good, Ichigo would've grabbed the tray and crashed it over the man's head.

()()()()()()()()

A few hours later…

Chado wasn't like his other friends. Chado understood him even when he wasn't making much sense.

Chado never expected long drawn out apologies because he was not one to hold a grudge-nor was he one to lecture Ichigo.

Chado just listened and accepted.

"So long as you are happy I am happy for you."

As for the punch well…

"I never meant to strike out at you like that."

"Well I was an ass Chado and everyone knows it. You just did what was necessary. I would have done the same."

The best thing about Chado—well there were a lot of great things about him but Ichigo's favorite thing about his shaggy haired friend was the fact that if he should choose to hug him, the taller male would NOT use that as an excuse to fondle him.

Because Chado didn't do things like that!

A Hug was a HUG. And Chado was Chado.

Ichigo wouldn't want it any other way.

"Well now that you're here I can finally show you what I've been working on."

Chado was a bit of an artist. And he was really quite good at it in Ichigo's opinion.

Should turn it into a career or so Ichigo had told him many times.

But Chado considered his artwork to be more of a hobby.

So Ichigo let him be. After all it would be a bit hypocritical of him to tell his older friend how to live his life.

()()()()()()

"Now keep in mind that I wasn't trying to offend you by doing this."

Ichigo was a little nervous—with a comment like that well it could mean anything.

He shook his head. That was stupid. This was Chado—Chado wouldn't d—

The curtain was lifted.

Chado's latest painting was revealed.

The colors were very vibrant, the lines detailed, the figure very um—

"It's uh well it looks kinda like me, a lot like me actually but that's just stupid there's no way its me right?"

"It is you."

Okay had he missed something? Chado had been his best friend for years and not once had he ever hinted at feeling some sort of non-brotherly affection towards him. He was reading too much into this—it was probably just like artistic expression or something right?

"But you're um I mean you're not like the rest of them—you're just Chado and this—

"I know it might be a bit difficult to digest Ichigo but—

"It's fine, it's fine but hey why exactly am I posing with a leopard?"

He had to stay calm. It was just a painting. Just art. Nothing else. So what if he was only dressed in periwinkle blue bed sheets. It was perfectly normal right?

This was stupid. Why was he getting so worked up for?

So his best friend might find him to be a good source of inspiration so what? It wasn't a bad thing. He should feel flattered.

And he did. Somewhat.

It was just—

"But what about Ishida? I mean you can't just f—

"I'm very happy with him and he knows this but you're my f—

"You never said anything. All this time and you never said anything. I mean I just—I—why?"

"I don't expect anything from y—

"I mean sure there were a few times when you covered your nose or your cheeks flushed but I figured it was because well I—you—I just—

"We're friends. I didn't show you this to freak you out. I don't expect anything from you. I just—

"Then last night the real reason you stormed off was bec—

"I don't like hearing you talk about yourself as though you are nothing more than some prize cherry boy toy. I know a lot of your admirers both in the past and now might have said and done things to you, making you doubt yourself but you shouldn't let it get to you. They don't understand you and as a result retaliate by teasing you. But they're idiots and you are not. So please promise me you'll never d—

He was such a complete dumb ass. Chado was just looking out for him as usual and he had been too caught up in his own bullshit to realize—

He cared about his friend but—

"Chado I—well, thanks."

Thanks? That's the best he can do? Wow he really does just flat out suck.

"It's yours."

"Mine? What? No I uh I can't accept this."

"Why not?"

"I just—I have no where to put it."

Lame. Lame. Lame.

Why was he acting this way? Chado was just—

"It's yours. If you don't want it just throw it away."

"I—no I'm not going to throw it away!"

"Good. Now follow me."

"Follow you?"

"Yes."

He couldn't return his best friends affections so the least he could do was follow him right?

()()()()()()

Ichigo had been in Chado's bedroom before back when they were like 12 years old—nowadays it wasn't exactly normal for 2 guys to go to a private sanctuary like a bedroom unless well—

"Chado what are we doing in your—

The door to the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom opened—Ishida stepped out, towel around his waist, a smaller one hanging loosely off his shoulder.

He didn't seem surprised to see him.

Oh why oh why did this look like—

"So did you want to shower next Kurosaki or should we just jump right in to it?"

WTF?

()()()()()()

Later that same afternoon…

(Aizen)

"Kuchiki Rukia, yes of course I remember who you are."

"No I can't say that I have."

"Did he? Well I'm very sorry to hear that."

"I will certainly let you know if I see him."

"Yes."

"No problem at all."

"And a good day to you as well, Kuchiki-chan."

Aizen hung up the phone.

So the boy was missing. And apparently his friends believed that the boy was hiding out with him. They were all deeply concerned.

It all seemed a bit over the top in his opinion.

The boy was not a child and he was fully capable of taking care of himself.

And even if the boy had really come to him to hide (which was really quite an amusing thought) well it's not as if he would've told the young Kuchiki woman that.

What could have possibly angered the boy so much in the first place?

And why had they jumped to that conclusion—more importantly how had the young raven-haired woman gotten his phone number?

Aizen certainly hadn't passed it out that night nor was he listed in the local phone book.

Could it be that there was perhaps some kind of hacker in their little group?

The buxom brunette perhaps? She had been almost unnaturally friendly, maybe it had all been an act.

Perhaps all of three of them were in on it. Maybe the boy hadn't really been all that clueless and short tempered and had merely pretended?

Perhaps the trio had simply been bored and decided to mess with him?

NO! He saw the look in boys' eyes—felt the boys' arousal through the fabric—not even a professionally trained porn star could be that convincing—so there was no plan or plotting—just three college students who happened to take a ride in his borrowed taxi.

As for the number? That could easily be explained through the use of the internet—now a days you could find just about anyone with a single click of the mouse.

Where was the boy though?

Had he simply locked himself away somewhere in order to hide from the rest of society?

Or perhaps he hadn't really left at all but his friends simply hadn't looked hard enough?

Or maybe—could it be (Aizen did not wish for much but on the rare occasion that he did)—

The doorbell rang. He'd let Gin or Kaname answer it. He'd given the servants, Kira and Iba the day off.

He had to get prepared—if it was the boy at the door well then—

The sound of footsteps reached his ears, following this sound, came a knock.

"Enter."

()()()()()()

Shame it was not the boy at all but an all too familiar thorn in his side—

"Finished your Christmas shopping already Hinamori-kun?"

The girl had the audacity to glare at him as she threw down several shopping bags. She snarled out "What the HELL is wrong with you? Why did you change the locks and not even bother to give me a new key?"

He would not raise his voice nor his hand to the girl—such behavior—no the best way to handle this sort of outburst was by simply ignoring the young girl completely.

It was the only way she would ever learn.

Aizen stood up, grabbed his pea coat off the back of the door, slipped it on and brushed past the girl with out uttering a single word.

()()()()()()

It was a nice day for early-December perhaps he'd do a little shopping of his own.

Ask Gin to accompany him.

()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

It hadn't been the best morning. Nor had it been the worst.

It had simply been exhausting.

Right now he didn't want to think about anything.

Right now going to watch some brainless movie with Keigo sounded like the best thing in the world.

So he agreed.

"Sure. Why don't we meet up around 6 or something?"

Ichigo had to hold the phone away from his ear so he didn't go permanently deaf from Keigo's excited cry of joy.

After a moment or two he brought the phone back to his ear.

"Okay. See you then."

()()()()()()

(Grimmjow)

He didn't know what was going on nor did he really care.

And he wouldn't have even bothered asking if he hadn't made a promise to her brother—not that he thought much of the guy—and truthfully he wasn't all that fond of the chick either—

She was far too whiny for his liking—actually whining didn't even begin to describe what she was doing

Neliel was blubbering like the baby she sometimes pretended to be.

They could probably fill 10 buckets with her tears and still have extra left over to wash the windows.

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques couldn't take much more.

How the hell is a man supposed to eat a sandwich when his female companion has snot running from her nose?

Course Nel had never been all that feminine to begin with but—

"Alright what the hell happened?"

"Itsy-Itsygo i—

"Ichigo what?"

"Itsygo is in love."

"Love? With who?"

"Nel saw them—

"Saw who?"

"Itsygo's lo—

The rest of her sentence had been cut off by another crying session.

So Kurosaki had some one—well that was rather unexpected—or so he would've thought if his personal bluebird hadn't informed him of this "oh so startling information" 3 hours ago—but he couldn't let Neliel know this—in fact there were many things he couldn't let her know.

Like the main mission for example—

Grimmjow never planned to follow through—he did not give two shits about anyone—the only one he had to be wary of was Nana "K"

Nana "K" was dangerous. Nana "K" had never even liked him—hell Nana "K" barely tolerated him.

Not that Grimmjow gave a damn—Nana "K" could kiss his half Canadian ass!

Kurosaki Ichigo was not some trophy wife or candy boy—he was in a league all his own—there was no comparison.

Grimmjow was the one to spot the orange haired youth in the first place and there was no way in hell he'd let anyone else have him!

His personal bluebird had been kind enough to let him know the latest.

Last night Kurosaki had gotten into some sort of dispute with his friends and stormed off.

The next time Kurosaki had been spotted was during the dead hour of that very same night, where he had been curled quite cozily around a dark haired male who was well over 6 feet tall.

The orange haired youth hadn't been seen since.

But then 5 minutes ago

Kaze sent him a text and informed him that Kurosaki made plans to meet another one of his friends—wow that guy sure had a lot—at the cinema later on.

**Happy Hollows in 3D**

Grimmjow didn't care to sit through some two-hour movie about some lame-brained detectives who shape-shifted into animals but if it meant he'd get to squeeze some fine berry ass?

He would go.

But that wouldn't be for a while so right now he had to focus on calming Neliel down.

"Don't cry Nel, Kurosaki isn't in love. He's just doing what guys do, having fun, enjoying life—

'_And its about time too I mean I like em' tight but if he was any more tense, I'd have to pry his cute little butt cheeks open with a crowbar.'_

"No. You didn't see his eyes or his smile. He was so happy and content with life. We've been watching him for over half a year and I've never seen him look like that."

"Well crying isn't going to change anything."

"I know. Hali said the same thing but—

"But?"

"I don't care because I won't hurt Ichi. I won't!"

"Relax, Neliel. No one is going to hurt him, Hali was probably just in one of her moods again, you know how she is during this time of the year."

"Why are we here Grimm? What is our purpose?"

"We are here because we deserve to be here. I don't care what that asshole fox said, we are not worthless, just unfortunate."

"And nii-san is—?"

"Yeah that bastard'll be here in a week or two. He's got some plans of his own."

"But Itsygo is—

"Kurosaki is sexually frustrated, that's all."

"Does it make you sad?"

"Sad?"

"You wants Itsygo don'ts you?"

"We all want him Nel—

"But you—

"I what?"

"Don't play dumb Grimm! I've heard you, all of us have heard you and seen the way you act around Ichi."

"So?"

"You refer to him as not only your woman but the perfect balance to yourself."

"Hey now don't go making me sound like some kind of love sick fool, sure I wanna claim Kurosaki but—

"Don't even finish that sentence Grimmjow. I've seen the way your eyes light up at the mere mention of his name."

"Light up? Gods you make me sound like some kinda chick, Neliel."

"There is nothing wrong with showing affection towards Ichi, if I had the proper equipment I'd claim him too."

"I'm sure even with out a dick you could claim him if you really want to Nel. That big breasted girl and the short one with the raven hair won't stand a chance against you."

"Ichi doesn't want boobies, he wants you!"

"_Right_, now Kurosaki wants me?"

"He does."

"You just got through telling me that he had a lover, make up your mind Neliel."

"Don't act stupid Grimm, you can love more than one person."

"So what are you saying? Kurosaki _loves_ me now? Right I'm sure even if he does have a hidden kinkiness some where in that tight body of his, I doubt he appreciates constantly having his masculinity brought into question."

"You and I both know that you never would've even looked at Ichi if he had truly been some overly sensitive, soft spoken fruit cup. Itsygo is none of these. Ichi is ideal, the perfect combination of a boy and a man—that's why you and so many others are so attracted to him." A sigh "So I ask you now, what are we going to do?"

"We're not going to do anything, Neliel."

'_I'm going to do something.'_

()()()()()()()

(Rukia)

Kuchiki Rukia was not a spy.

Nor was she a stalker.

She was a young woman out on a quest.

It hadn't started out that way.

Originally she'd just been doing a bit of Christmas shopping.

She had found the most adorable music box and fully intended on purchasing it for Inoue.

But then she saw him.

Aizen.

Was ready to run up and greet the man but then she spotted his companion.

Male. Silver-haired. Thin. And the exact same height as Aizen himself was.

There was nothing particularly alarming about the scene.

The two men were probably just good friends.

But since when did good friends ruffle the others hair?

Since when did good friends steal the others mocha latte?

Since when did good friends slap the others butt and then grin like a naughty schoolgirl?

Sure Renji and Ichigo acted like the "not-so-closet" fruits they were at times but they never acted like this!

No the way Aizen and his companion acted around each other well it was more like they were

LOVERS?

And there was nothing wrong with this except—

Aizen had taken an interest in Ichigo.

Still claimed to be interested in her orange haired friend and in her book that meant Aizen should not be interested in any one else.

Aizen should not be involved with anyone else.

But apparently he was.

And that made Rukia mad.

Very mad!

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Early that evening…

_**/'So King what's the game plan?'**_/

_/What are you talking about?'/_

_**/'I mean are ya really gonna go to the movies or are ya gonna skip out and change the course of your direction?'/**_

_/I'm going to the movies./_

_**/Really but why the hell would ya want to do that when ya could have smoochie smoochie time with ya new lover?/**_

_/'Kenpachi is not my lover!/_

_**/'Really? Coulda fooled me? What da you call it then?/**_

_/Shut up Shirosaki!/_

**/I'm just saying—/**

/_Yeah you're always just saying something aren't you./_

**/Touchy are ya?/**

_/Argg shut up!/_

**/Make me. All it takes is one call King. One call and ya can get rid of me for good./**

()()()()()()

(Aizen)

Urahara and Shihoin had invited themselves over for dinner.

A friendly little get together they called it.

There was nothing friendly about Yoruichi stabbing his hand repeatedly with a dinner fork.

Nothing friendly about Kisuke spitting wine in his face after Gin recounted a rather amusing tale about a woman and a doughnut.

Aizen did not appreciate the cat-eyed woman sitting at the head of the table in his chair.

He did not like it when the woman had slipped off her velvet trimmed boots and put her feet right next to his own dinner plate.

It didn't matter if there was nothing left on it but a few speckles of peanut sauce—her behavior had been completely barbaric.

Her blond companion had been even worse. Letting out a series of belches followed by ultra foul smelling round of farts.

Which had been the last straw for Kaname, the dark skinned man had scooped up his adoptive son and quickly left the grand dining room.

If Aizen Sousuke were an ordinary man he would have pulled Urahara up by the scruff of his neck and beat the blond with in an inch of his life.

But Aizen was no ordinary man.

Nor was he an idiot.

He knew what Urahara and Shihoin were trying to do.

But it wasn't going to work.

Aizen was not the type of man to get so easily riled up.

Yoruichi raised a forkful of peach cobbler up to her mouth and swallowed before breaking the silence "Its such a shame Hina-chan couldn't join us for dinner."

"Yes why is that every time we come here our sweet little Hina is preoccupied?" Kisuke glared straight at him.

Aizen did not even bat an eye.

The blond could think what ever he wanted.

Gin took it upon himself to answer, "Hinamori-kun went ta the movies with Toshi-chan."

"Did she now?"

()()()()()()()

At Night…

(Inoue)

"Kurosaki-kun is the only boy I've ever loved and I'm trusting that you'll make sure he gets his happy ending."

"No she still hasn't caught on. None of them have."

"I'm not happy about deceiving my friends but I will do what is necessary because I don't want to see Kurosaki-kun sad and lonely."

"Kurosaki-kun is a wonderful person but he needs someone who will take care of him or else he'll wind up destroying himself in the end."

"He is not weak! Kurosaki-kun is one of the strongest people I've ever met—he just spends so much time doing things for everyone else and tends to neglect his own wants and needs."

"Kurosaki-kun has many admirers but only one will win his heart in the end."

"I suppose you are right but I don't want—

The door opened

Inoue Orihime held the cell phone against her chest as her raven-haired companion came into view.

"Inoue are you alright you look a bit upset about something?"

"Oh um I just got off the phone with Tatsuki-chan. I asked her if she'd keep a look out for Kurosaki-kun and let us know if—

Kuchiki-san why are you dressed in that?"

The buxom brunette felt that changing the topic would be a perfect way to distract the shorter woman so she could have time to toss the phone off to the side.

Rukia's silver-blues danced with delight. She climbed on top Inoue's princess mattress and started bouncing up and down like a child, her big fluffy bunny ears bouncing with her. "I've decided to join Renji in on his little break-in plan."

"Break in plan?"

()()()()()()()()()

(Rukia)

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_See I told you that guy was bad news. Maybe next time you'll listen to me."_

"_Oh shut up Renji. This isn't the time to play 'I told you so'._

_We have more important matters to take care of."_

"_Yeah like what?"_

"_Like finding our fri—oh Chado? Ishida what are you two doing here?"_

"_That's what I've been trying to tell you but your so busy flapping your gums that I didn't get to."_

"_Tell me what?"_

"_Kurosaki is not missing."_

"_Really? You've seen him then?"_

"_Earlier, yes."_

"_So then you guys made up?"_

"_Yes."_

"_I'm so glad."_

"_Yeah we're all thrilled now let's focus on what is really important here. Here's the plan. We're going to break into Aizen's mansion and demand that he release his evil hypnosis mumbo jumbo on Ichigo. After that we'll celebrate by going to the first ever Pocky Pals Live in Concert."_

"_Pocky Pals Live in Concert? Surely you must be joking?"_

"_Nope."_

End FLASHBACK

()()()()()()()

"You mean I'll get to see Sza and Lu in person?"

"Well I'm not sure about that but Renji is pretty excited all the same."

"As am I. Will Kurosaki-kun be joining us?"

"I'm sure he will."

"Oooh I can't wait! This is going to be so much fun. When do we go?"

"Well first we have to break into Aizen's and then—

"Wait! I thought you were joking when you said that. I mean I don't understand what did Aizen-san do wrong?"

Rukia thought about how she should answer this question. And then decided that the best place to start would be the beginning.

"Well earlier today…

()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Typical. It was oh so very typical that it would turn into a freakin' blizzard outside when he had opted to wear nothing more than simple dove gray turtle neck and blue jeans.

Typical that Keigo would screw up both the time and the meeting place.

And as a result they would have to go to a later showing.

Typical that stupid goat face would send him a text message that read:

**BE SURE TO GET AN AUTOGRAPHED POSTER FOR YOUR SISTER!**

=D

Ichigo had no problem getting gifts for his sisters. They were his sisters after all and part of being a brother was spoiling his sisters rotten.

But he would have preferred it if Yuzu herself had sent him the text message.

Because Yuzu knew better than to attach cheesy smiles to every single text.

It was like goat face purposely went out of his way to annoy him.

He did love the man but sometimes…

"Ichigoooo!"

Flapping his arms and looking very much like a chicken in a bright yellow down jacket, Keigo ran towards him ready for the "uber bro-mantic hug to be returned.

"Yo!"

Ichigo side stepped and watched with amusement as his brown-haired friend crashed into the tree.

After a minute or two he held out a hand and helped the other male to his feet.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"So think there's gonna be some hot girls in there?"

"Nah, its all guys haven't you heard?"

Keigo turned pale "Ah man, please tell me you're joking. I don't wanna be around a bunch of dudes."

Ichigo laughed.

So predictable.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of girls there, Keigo."

"Yes! I haven't been laid in ages. And Kei-Kei is ready to go."

"You named your dick?"

"Yeah man doesn't everyone?"

He didn't even want to answer that question. Really sometimes Keigo was just—

"Hey do you think I'll get to take a picture with the lovely Miko-chan?"

"Sure, Keigo, sure."

"Think she'll go out with me?"

"Sure, Keigo why not?"

"YES! Oh this is the best night ever."

It was a one in a million chance that his friend would even get to meet the actress "Miko-chan" but Ichigo saw no harm in letting Keigo daydream.

"WOW! Check it out! Happy Hollows in 3D Rise of the Empress coming in June. Oh man we are so going to see that!"

Ichigo let out a groan.

A sequel? Why the hell were they already advertising a sequel when the first one had only been out in theater for a day or two?

It just didn't make any sense to Ichigo.

"Look I'm going to get some snacks. You just stay here and continue salivating over the movie poster."

()()()()()()()()

Okay what was a makeup/hair stylist doing behind a concession stand?

"Berry-tan!"

The woman with the lime green bob grinned at Ichigo.

What was her name again Mashi something or another?

Quite unprofessionally, the woman with the copper colored orbs leaped over the counter and smothered him with a hug.

Acting like they were long time friends and not nearly complete strangers.

The woman was seriously weird.

"You work here?"

"Nope. I'm just helping out a friend of mine. She's not exactly a people person."

"Hey! No flirting on the clock!"

A short pigtailed blonde with freckles, an upturned nose, a trademark fang protruding from one side of her mouth yanked the green haired woman away from him.

It took Ichigo a moment but he eventually recognized the blonde as the chick from his dorm room floor.

Hiyori.

According to her nametag she was the assistant manager at this theater.

Hn, small world.

"Berry-tan isn't my boyfriend _although_—the green haired woman's eyes raked over his body and let out an appreciative whistle "I certainly wouldn't be complaining if he was."

She turned to the blonde "Berry-tan is a good friend of mine. We met during fashion week."

Hiyori didn't look the least bit interested. She turned, grabbed a hold of Ichigo's sleeve and yanked him down whispering in his ear "Be careful, they're watching you."

After that she let go.

Ichigo felt confused and just a bit disturbed.

What had she meant by that?

He was about to ask the girl but then Keigo appeared at his side "Did you remember to get my milk duds huh did ya, did—OW!"

"No shouting in the cinema!"

"What?" Keigo squawked and flapped his arms, once more reminding Ichigo of a chicken "This isn't a library. I can talk as loud as I want."

Ichigo laughed as the blonde snaggletooth beat his friend up with her cherry red flip-flops.

"It's nice to see you so looking so happy berry-tan."

()()()()()()()

(Grimmjow)

Kaze wasn't the brightest but his plans usually worked out quite well.

Sure Grimmjow had been rather annoyed to find out that he'd have to sit through Happy Hollows not once but twice—but at least he'd get the upper advantage in cornering the berry.

And really there was nothing more delicious than capturing the orange haired 19 year old off guard. The way his cinnamon brown eyes would widen, the way his strong yet boyish cheekbones would flush—ah Grimmjow could practically taste it.

_/'Perhaps I'll give him a taste of something else if he asks nicely.'_/

The friend was a bit of a distraction but Mila-Rose was going to take care of that.

Ah Mila-Rose, 'self proclaimed Arabian princess' one of Grimmjow's exes—the woman was still rather bitter about their break up and often went out of her way too make things difficult—take tonight for example—Mila had only agreed to help him after he promised to buy her the rose quartz necklace sitting in the window down at "BruFire"

-a local jewelry store.

Mila liked pretty and expensive things. Even while they were dating, the woman had refused to give him any ass if he didn't agree to shower her with gifts.

"This better be worth it."

"Just pipe down until I tell you to make a move."

"You bastard! I'll have your left nut if you keep t—

"Yeah, yeah save your little sadistic acts for the kid."

"Kid?" Mila-Rose's eyebrow twitched "Do I look like a cradle robber to you?"

"Keep your panties on. He's legal."

Mila picked at a metallic purple painted nail "So what's the runt look like and what's his name?"

"Keigo something or other as for looks? Dumb, plain and talks way to damn much but I'm sure you could just put a bag over his head and gag him."

"How do yo—

"It's what Kazeshini said so—

"Yeah okay so he's puny and a whiner, got it. So what about the one you're going after—Kurosaki was it?"

"Believe me he needs no introduction, you'll know it the moment you see him."

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

So the movie was still pretty corny but the actor—or more specifically one actor "Abe-san"—the actor playing the shape-shifting panther/detective "Joe Paws"—well the guy was just YUM.

Not that Ichigo would voice this particular thought out loud.

But he would definitely pick up an autographed poster for himself in addition to the one for Yuzu.

And then he would add it to his porn collection.

Not that he had much of a collection to begin with—actually he didn't have a porn collection at all but well now—now he would and the very first thing to win a spot in the box—no not a box but a wall— would be the deliciously yum Joe Paws.

Actually once he got a free moment to himself he might have a little jizzy fun with the poster.

Wait! Did he really just think that?

_**/'Congratulations King! You're a real man after all—granted an uber fruit-tastic one but hey can't be perfect./**_

He chose to ignore Shirosaki.

And decided to focus on "Abe-san's" rippling abs instead.

Mm that was really just so very YUM.

"Hey Ichigo do you think if I ask Miko-chan to have my babies she'll agree?"

"Huh? What oh yeah sure Keigo, why don't you ask her when it ends."

"Hey yeah that's a good idea—uh but first here hold this, I gotta go spank the monkey."

Ichigo wrinkled his nose in distaste as Keigo passed him the half eaten box of milk duds.

And then headed for the exit door.

()()()()()()()()

(Grimmjow)

Electric blue eyes watched the brown-haired youth head for the door.

Grimmjow nudged Mila-Rose "That's your cue, get going."

With a nasty snarl, Mila left her seat and set off after the kid.

Grimmjow grinned

_/'Showtime!'/_

()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

For all its lame clichés and even lamer action scenes, Happy Hollows in 3D wasn't all that bad.

Bit by bit Ichigo was learning to appreciate all of the characters—not just "Joe Paws."

Take Keigo's dream girl Miko-chan the actress playing "Kiki-Lulu" the shape-shifting koala for example. Her personality reminded him of a cross combination of Karin and Rukia and her bone structure made him think of Ishida—well a female Ishida that is.

But still in Ichigo's opinion Kiki-Lulu should have been the main character—because she was ten times better than Rita-chan the actress playing Ginger-Go-Go the shape-shifting leopard.

In short Ginger-Go-Go was just flat out annoying. She was kind but way too damn cocky. Her natural charm tended to be clouded by her deep insecurities.

Too over the top dramatic.

Just—UGH!

"Wanna be my Ginger-Go-Go, Kurosaki?"

A familiar voice purred into his ear, causing him to jump and almost drop both his popcorn and Keigo's milk duds on the floor.

What the hell was Grimmjow doing here?

And why the hell did he have to get so close?

And did he always smell this good?

"Grimmjow?"

"The one and only. Although some people have told me I look a lot like the actor playing "Paws" The blue haired man grinned "I suppose I kinda do, don't I?"

It was purely for comparison purposes. Nothing else.

Ichigo had no desire to study Grimmjow's face.

Sharp angles. Striking electric blue eyes lined with shadow and liner but unlike Ulquiorra's, Grimmjow's make up looked more natural.

He'd always found Grimmjow attractive and the more he studied the man's features the more he found the similarities between his stalker and the character on screen.

It was almost ironic that the blue haired male just happened to be wearing a fur collared black winter jacket.

Made Ichigo drool inwardly.

_/'Must avert gaze, must avert g—_

He let out a yelp.

The bastard had just squeezed his right nipple with out warning.

"That's right Ginger, let me hear your sweet sounds."

Grimmjow was a pervert and had always been a pervert.

But what he was doing—did the bastard want to get both of them arrested?

You can't just do—

The sound of a zipper being pulled down reached his ears

Took him a moment to realize it was his—

He let out a hiss.

"Really Ginger, you should stop torturing yourself let go and just enjoy."

_/'Well I suppose I could—what the hell am I saying?'/_

_**/'Snot so bad King. Stop worrying so much. A little bit of yum-yum time can do ya a world of good.'/**_

()()()()()()()

The next morning…

"Rise and Shine Kurosaki-kun we have a big day ahead of us."

Ichigo groaned and pulled the covers over his head.

"Come on Ichigo it's not like you to lay in bed all day, up." With out much warning, Rukia and Inoue grabbed one side of the bed and flipped it sending the orange haired male crashing to the floor.

At least it was carpeted.

He could be thankful for that much.

()()()()()()()

Over coffee, toast and jam Rukia filled him in on what they were doing today.

"We're going to a winter garden. Renji is already waiting at the entrance gate."

"Winter garden?"

"Oh it's so pretty Kurosaki-kun, reminds me of a snow fairy world."

Right so they had woken him up bright and early to go to a winter garden with fairies.

Yippee!

()()()()()()()

And why oh why did they have to dress up in bunny costumes in order to enter this oh so magical garden?

And why oh why did they have to scale the walls and climb the gates?

'Bunny Ninjas' Rukia had called it.

()()()()()

(Aizen)

Deep brown eyes followed the 4 bunny figures climbing the Victorian cast iron gates.

"We seem ta have some intruders."

"Should I let the dogs out Aizen-sama?"

"No. Let's just wait and see what they plan to do."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: If I owned BLEACH Ichigo would have grown up in Soul Society but then Soul Society wouldn't be the Soul Society we love and hate but rather…and uber tastic out of this world planet with half naked males running around every where. Smirks. But as it stands fact is fact and my name is not Kubo-sensei.**

Warnings: AiIchi, dialogue, language, spelling, punctuation, run-ons, characterization flips, etc etc…

Dedication: The uber talented BonneNuit!

Shades of Orange Part 7

**Tell me About Your Self**

Last time…

"_We're going to a winter garden. Renji is already waiting at the entrance gate."_

"_Winter garden?"_

"_Oh it's so pretty Kurosaki-kun, reminds me of a snow fairy world."_

_Right so they had woken him up bright and early to go to a winter garden with fairies._

_Yippee!_

_()()()()()()()_

_And why oh why did they have to dress up in bunny costumes in order to enter this oh so magical garden?_

_And why oh why did they have to scale the walls and climb the gates?_

'_Bunny Ninjas' Rukia had called it._

_()()()()()_

_(Aizen)_

_Deep brown eyes followed the 4 bunny figures climbing the Victorian cast iron gates._

"_We seem ta have some intruders."_

"_Should I let the dogs out Aizen-sama?"_

"_No. Let's just wait and see what they plan to do."_

And now…

(Rukia)

Rukia liked to do things her way.

When she had agreed to go along with Renji's plan on confronting Aizen the two-timing jackass—she felt that they should go in with a sort of certain flair. Let the man know just how serious they were.

Nii-sama had really had gone over the top this time. Insuring both her and her friends immediate safety by supplying them with built in suction cups in the soles of the uber-tastic-too-cute-to-almost-be-bunny- sandals designed by the one and only Ishida.

He had also supplied Rukia and her team with standard gear typically used for swat teams.

Nii-sama knew a lot of people including a real life swat commander.

And even though she highly doubted that Aizen's security team would start shooting at them, one could never be too careful.

Still in the end she wound up leaving all of the real weapons in the trunk of the car.

Besides the hot pink water guns were way more fun to play with.

And matched perfectly with her bunny ears.

()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

He was happy that the worst of it seemed to be over.

But seriously who the hell came up with the idea to have guests nearly break their backs among other things in order to enter the uber magical fairy garden?

Even with the suction cups, he had slid and nearly lost his balance a few times.

_Why do I let her talk me into these things?_

Finally that final leap and his feet met solid ground.

But now Rukia was signaling for him to crouch down.

So he did and then crawled towards her, "Psst Rukia!"

"What?"

"Why are we sneaking into this place? Didn't you say it was kind of like a theme park of sorts?"

"Well not exactly."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well it's not exactly open to the public I mean—

"What! You mean to tell me that you woke me up so we could break in to someone's garden? Why?"

Rukia eyes danced with mirth "Oh Ichigo you poor naïve little boy, it should be obvious where we are and why we have come here."

_What did she mean by that?_

_And why was Inoue giving him that look?_

"Everything will be alright Kurosaki-kun. We're just here to ask Aizen-san a few questions."

"Questions?"

_Just what the hell was going on?_

"You mean you really haven't figured it out?" Renji's hand fell on his shoulder "Ichigo, man we're here because of that bastard Aizen, the guy totally scrambled yer brains and we're here to put a stop to it." 

_Oh not this again!_

"Scrambled my—look Renji this is getting ridiculous. Let it go already. It happened to me, not you and besides its not like the guy raped me or something."

"Might as well have, in a sense he raped your mind."

"Ugh oh please would you just—look let's get out of here before we—

"Greetings Peter Cotton Tail and friends."

That smooth baritone. There was no way Ichigo could mistake that voice.

It could only belong to one man. Aizen. Well of course it was Aizen. Inoue, Rukia and Renji had just told him that they were here on Aizen's property in order to well—lecture him? Threaten him? What exactly did they plan to do to the man?

Inoue wasn't a violent person. And although Rukia had a slight temper at times she would never get physically violent unless given a legitimate reason but Renji on the other hand—

"Look guys even if Aizen did to something to me that night, its not like I was seriously damaged or anything. Besides you know me, how I was raised, if I really need to I can defend myself a—

"No offense Ichigo but you don't understand a damn thing about obsessive and controllin' men."

What the hell? Did Renji think he was suddenly some sort of expert just because he got fucked a few times?

More than anything, Ichigo felt irritated.

'_I should've just taken Grimmjow up on his offer and gone camping—or called up Kenpachi and crashed at his place. Why the hell did I go to Rukia's? Ugh I am the King of dumb asses!'_

"Look Renji, Rukia, Inoue I appreciate your concern, really I do but I think we're blowing things way out of proportion here. I mean with the exception of that one dream Aizen hasn't contacted me once."

"Yeah as far as you know. No offense Ichigo but you're like an idiot when it comes to matters of hard core lust, you only think that night was spur of the moment when in actuality it was prob'ly orchestrated."

"Oh come on now you're just—

"As amusing as it is to watch all of you cluck like hens in a pen I'm going to have to ask you to drop the weapons and remove your rabbit masks.

"Damn it! See I told you we should've worn the heads."

"The heads are not as cute and besides I look cute in a mask."

"What should we do Kuchiki-san? Aizen-san sounds kind of angry."

"Calm down Inoue, despite being a lying bastard, Aizen is not some wild ruffian. I'm sure he will simply ask us to reveal ourselves and then have one of his underpaid servants escort us off his property."

Inoue bit her bottom lip but removed her mask when the raven-haired female offered her a reassuring smile.

"Fuck that shit! We're not leaving until that bastard unwraps himself from Ichigo's mind!"

"Shh! What the hell is the matter with you? You can't just go shouting out accusations like that!"

"But Rukia you're the one who—

"I said Aizen had a secret lover. I never said anything about him taking control over Ichigo's mind. If anything he's taken control over Ichigo's heart and that I cannot and will not allow. But take off the damn mask already. I won't have you botching up the plan."

"Secret lover? Taking over my heart? What the hell—

"Please don't cry Kurosaki-kun," Inoue wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close "I'm sure all of this is a big misunderstanding, you'll see how wonderful a man Aizen-san truly is and then—

"Wonderful? No offense Hime-chan but are those garish sea blue clips in your scalp cutting off the circulation in your brain?"

"Shut up Renji!"

Rukia smacked the red head over the head with her mask.

"Me? You're tellin' me to shut up? What about—

"I will not ask again. Remove the masks."

"Oh here Kurosaki-kun let me help you with that."

Ichigo bit back a snarl when one of Inoue's nails scraped his cheek a bit.

"I'm sorry." She lowered her eyes and then pulled away from him.

"It's fine Inou—OUCH! What the hell Rukia!"

"Stop being such a baby. I barely grazed you."

He glared at her.

Another tug and the mask came free.

"You women are so damn violent, I swear you'd lead a guy to his grave at the rate you're going."

"We can't speak of funerals until after the wedding Abarai-kun."

"Wedding? What the hell are you talking about Hime-chan?"

"Well if Aizen plays his cards right and dumps the trash then I will give him my blessing to marry Ichigo."

"What? What the hell is wrong with you? Ichigo is not gettin' hitched to that bastard!"

"Well not for awhile. He has to work his way back up to that point but I see no problem w—

"Have you two lost it? Ichigo doesn't want to be wed to a guy like that a—

"Well at the moment, no but once Aizen-san comes to his senses and gets rid of that platinum slut we can all celebrate."

"Platinum slut?"

"Ah Kuchiki-san I don't think it's fair to call one of Aizen-san's companions a slut I—

"The man was giggling like a school girl Inoue, of course he's a slut!"

Ichigo honestly didn't know what was going on anymore.

Nor did he really care.

He cleared his throat "Look I'm sorry about breaking onto your property like this but we can just leave and you can forget any of this ever happened and mph!"

Damn it why did Renji have to be such a—

"Listen up asshole I've never seen your slimy face but when I do I'll beat y—OW!"

"Idiot!" Rukia rolled her eyes at the stupid redhead and then focused her attention on her orange haired friend "Look Ichigo we just want to talk to the man. Find out what his true intentions are."

"Rukia if the guy has a lover, then he has a lover. It has nothing to do with us. So I think we better leave before we wind up in jail or something."

"Don't be ridiculous. Now follow me."

()()()()()()

The raven-haired beauty was all set to ring the door bell when..

Much like an uber creepy and over the top cheesy haunted house, the door opened on it's own…

Well not exactly but there was a young blond boy on the other end

One of his hands reached out and pulled Rukia inside right before slamming it shut.

Ichigo blinked

WTF?

He banged his fist against the door and shouted out

"Rukia!"

"Kuchiki-chan is perfectly safe I can assure you. Even though you are the ones who have crashed into my home unannounced, no harm will come to you or any of your friends, my sweet _apricot_."

"Apricot? What the hell is that like some kind of pet name he gave you Ichigo?"

He concluded that Aizen was near by because the man's voice came out of the loud speakers crystal clear.

Ichigo chose to ignore Renji in favor of addressing the man. It would be so much easier if the man were standing before him because at least then he wouldn't have to constantly clear his throat and shout.

"Look I'll say it again, I'm sorry for trespassing but if you'd just let Rukia go, we can forget it ever happened. Hell we'll take it one step further and forget that night ever happened."

There was a silent pause and then…

"Are you absolutely positive that this is what you want Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Why did it sound like the man was toying with him? Why did it sound like—?

"Come inside and have a cup of tea and Wonderweiss will release Kuchiki-chan."

"You bastard!" He pounded harder on the door "RUKIA!"

"Shut up you idiot! I'm fine. Just watching Wonderweiss-kun's little magic show. He's really quite talented. Inoue come inside and see."

"Ooh I do love a magic show but wait are you going to be alright Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo didn't know what to think.

Rukia's voice reached his ears once again but it was not him she was addressing.

"Renji go around to the back of the house. I told the chefs how much you enjoy food and they decided to make you something extra special."

The redhead looked ready to jump at the mention of food but then came to his senses "Hell no! They probably poisoned it. Now it's all becoming perfectly clear. That bastard is gong to kill all of us off and then turn Ichigo into some mindless sex-slave!"

"Um Abarai-kun I don't think—I mean we just heard Kuchiki-san's voice. She seems perfectly fine."

"That's what they want you to think Hime-chan."

"No I really don't think—

"Inoue don't listen to that stupid ape standing beside you, come inside and join me."

"Um alright Kuchiki-san I'll um come inside."

Inoue stepped up to the door in the exact same way Rukia had done. A split second later it opened and a hand reached out and pulled her inside before slamming it shut.

"Ichigo, man what are we gonna do now?"

"Renji if you don't move your ass right now I'll tell you know who about what you did to his you know what."

"Ah but Rukia I—

"Just go."

"But Ichigo man I mean are you going to be alright?"

"Do I look like a delicate little girl to you?"

"Well sometimes but t—OW! FUCK! What the hell man?"

"Just go eat or something. I'll handle Aizen."

()()()()()()()

"One cup of tea and then you are free to go."

()()()()()()

Of course there had to be a catch. There was always a catch.

It would almost be comical except Ichigo really wasn't in the mood to laugh.

On the plus side Aizen was looking well—kind of cute in his plush white morning robe and matching slippers. His hair wasn't coifed like it had been on the night when he met the man. It was messier, wavy bangs brushing along his forehead. The large square glasses the man was wearing gave him a less intimidating, more approachable look. His eyes were warm and—

"Are you not enjoying your tea Ichigo-kun?"

Ah the tea. Yes well there was nothing wrong with the tea—except for the fact that it had been poured into a cup that was large enough to be a soup bowl.

What did the man expect him to do? Ask for a straw?

He wasn't an expert in etiquette or fine dining but he was pretty sure drinking tea with a straw was better suited for a—

"Yer seem ta be a bit lost there Ichi-chan, are ya not familiar with drinkin from such a large tea cup?"

The silver haired man with a fox like face. Ichigo wondered if this was Aizen's 'platinum lover' Rukia had mentioned earlier.

If this was Aizen's secret lover then shouldn't the man be irritated instead of friendly with him?

"Yer have ta speak up if you want something Ichi-chan."

Ichigo scowled. "My name is Ichigo."

"Ichigo as in number one guardian?"

It seemed that the dark skinned man sitting at the other end of the long table was the most normal one in Aizen's household—he'd only said a few words but something about him seemed almost father like and Ichigo decided that he liked the guy.

The orange haired youth lifted the cup to his lips and sipped the tea slowly, careful not to spill.

It worked out pretty well.

"Didn't mean ta offend yer pride Ichi-chan. Just tryin' ta be friendly. We don't have company over fer breakfast very often."

Ichigo took a few more careful sips from his ridiculously large tea cup and the looked up to find three sets of eyes trained on him.

Rich chocolate brown, blood red rose and milky violet.

The milky violet eyes were a little unsettling. When Ichigo had first spotted the dark haired man he had thought the man to be blind but when the man's' eyes had narrowed directly at him he concluded that he was quite wrong.

And quickly averted his gaze and bowed his head,

"Yer seem ta bee a bit wary of us Ichi-chan. Why?"

Why did Aizen's silver haired lover keep talking to him? It just didn't make any sense.

"It's smart of you to be wise, Ichigo. For one can never be too careful especially around 3 strangers he just met."

Yes he was definitely liking the dark-skinned man—didn't sound right calling him that—he must find out the man's name.

"I didn't catch you name."

"This is Tousen-san he has a son of his own which is probably why he has taken quite a liking ta ya Ichi-chan."

He felt a little annoyed but at the same time the silver-haired man was kinda growing on him.

"And you are?"

"Gin but you can call me Oji if yer want ta."

Erm what?

"Well Tousen-san, Gin-san I was taught to always be on guard."

"I bet that's not all yer were taught eh Ichi-chan?"

Ichigo nearly chocked on his tea,

"My, my yer seem ta have swallowed a but too much tea. Would yer like me ta come over there and give ya the Heimlich?"

"No," cough cough cough "I'm fine."

Gin cocked his head to the side "Yer certain? Because yer lookin awfully red around the cheeks and—

"I said I'm fine!"

He hadn't meant to get upset but—

"What a temper, yer have given me reason ta spank ya Ichi-chan."

Ichigo's face flushed.

"Yer'd like that though wouldn't ya?"

"You-you—" he trailed off and just concentrated on sipping his tea. The quicker he sipped the sooner he could leave.

"Right now you're thinking 'what have I gotten myself into?' Who are these men and what do they really want? Are my friends really okay?"

At last at last Aizen decided to speak again.

Ichigo looked up meeting those familiar pools of dark brown—oh it might have been a couple of weeks or so but he had not forgotten—

"I am the same man you met that night in the taxi, the two men sitting at the other end of the table are my loyal companions/business partners, Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname. They insisted upon meeting you when I invited you in for tea. I can assure you that despite his comments Gin will not lay a hand on you and Kaname, as I am sure you have already concluded views you in the way a father views a son."

"But you don't even know me—none of you do!" Ichigo stood up and continued "For all you know I might just be some punk who is distracting you while my friends knock out your servants and run away with all of your riches."

It sounded stupid even to his own years but—

Aizen chuckled in amusement.

"Finish your tea. And then you can continue telling us about your big bad friends."

The man was mocking him.

Bastard!

_**/Well course he's mockin' ya King. Ya come in here shouting out threats and demanding that ya friends be released and then ya turn around 10 minutes later and act like ya came here as part of some big elaborate scheme to rob the man./**_

_/Oh just—it's your fault! You confus—_

_**/I confused ya? Ya are so full o shit King!'/**_

_/Shirosaki y—_

_**/Shut up and drink ya tea idiot! If these guys really wanted to harm ya, you'd already be tied up and whipped.'/**_

_/'Must you be so /_

_**/Don't go gettin' all snappy at me just cause ya are feelin like a total dumbass now.'/**_

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

()()()()()

"Look I'm sorry I just—I normally don't act that way. I just—it's been a long week, long month really but I guess I'm just kinda cranky."

_/Shit! Why am I apologizing to these guys?/_

_**/It's the right thing to do King now finish it off by offerin' each of em' a blow job before ya officially depart/**_

_/Where the hell do—Damn it Shirosaki, you're my inner conscience but I swear I must be partially possessed by some perverted demon or something because every five minutes you-/_

_/__**I'm not ya conscience King. I'm ya split personality, the side that ya hide.'/**_

_/Why can't you be of some use to me? Help me think of a way to rescue Rukia and the others./_

_**/If ya really were all that concerned about Rukia and the others, ya wouldn't be sittin' here sippin tea and blushing like a virgin bride. Just take some of my advice for once King. Forget about ya insecurities and enjoy!/**_

_/Ugh! You are of no help to me at all. You're just a—_

"Apology accepted Ichigo-kun. Now how about some breakfast?"

Breakfast? The last time Ichigo had breakfast Kenpachi had forcefully shoved pancakes down his mouth and—

"You really should say yes Ichigo. It is not wise to turn down an offer from Aizen-sama."

On second though maybe Tousen wasn't such a likable man after all.

The way those pale eyes narrowed—well Ichigo nearly pissed himself this time.

"Course Ichi-chan will join us fer breakfast, we're having strawberry blintzes."

()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

He couldn't have wished for much more. The way both Gin and Kaname had quickly warmed up to the boy—Aizen was above and beyond pleased.

He certainly hadn't expected to see the boy and his friends drop in this morning—but he wasn't going to complain about it.

Au contraire

It was a pleasant surprise. He had originally intended to let another week pass and let the boy continue on with his life as normal, before moving in to make his move but—

Well now that was no longer necessary because just as he had known all along—the boy had come to him.

And before the boy had agreed to come into the house for a cup of tea he had a little chat with Kuchiki Rukia.

The young woman had witnessed his little outing with Gin and immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. But once he had assured her that he and Gin were not romantically involved just close companions she let it drop. And almost instantly changed her tune.

_**Ichigo has been looking forward to seeing you again Aizen-san. He's just shy and couldn't come out and say it. But I, being one of his best friends understand what he wants and needs. **_

_I take it you dragged him here today then?_

_**Dragged is such a strong word, more like I made him believe we were going somewhere else. **_

_Ah._

_**Yes so um I just have one more thing to add**_

_Yes?_

_**The other night when he ran off well it seems he met someone**_

_And?_

_**And well I think he enjoyed himself. Ishida didn't give out too many details but—**_

_You needn't go any further Kuchiki-chan, I understand and I thank you for telling me_

_**Please don't be angry with Ichigo. He's new to this whole scene**_

_Is he?_

_**Yes but he's not an idiot or a delicate flower so you better not even think for one second that you can manipulate his feelings**_

_While it is true that I have only met the boy once I like what I saw and I don't intend to change it_

_**Good. It may not be easy but out of all of Ichigo's suitors, you've got my vote!**_

_I'm glad to hear it. I will expect your help when the time comes to pick out the bridal gown_

_**The young raven haired woman giggled**_

_**I look forward to it**_

_And the rest of your friends?_

_**Inoue already adores you and as for the others? They'll come around.**_

_When you say other suitors just how many?_

_**The young woman's eyes danced with mischief**_

_**Ah see I can't tell you that, it would be cheating**_

_Would it now?_

_**Mm hmm but I will tell you one thing Aizen san: In order to catch the berry, you must be ready for anything.**_

_He smirked_

_I do love a challenge_

_**Mm and I love it when a man is determined to win!**_

_Careful Kuchiki-chan, I might misinterpret your flirty eyes and compliments to be something else_

_**Hmm it is I who am flattered Aizen-san but alas I am also quite smitten with some one else. If things do not turn out well with Ichigo, hit me up in 10 years or so**_

_Things will work out better than well_

_**Will they now?**_

_**A pause**_

_**And then a shift, eyes growing hard**_

_**If you break his heart I will break your jaw and everything else you hold dear**_

_I do not set my sights on just any one Kuchiki-chan_

_**I know. I realized that from the moment we met but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't interrogate the man who intends to sweep the berry off his feet?**_

_Point well made._

_**Exactly. Now go to your berry.**_

_I shall_

_**Her voice was teasing now**_

_**Do not disappoint me Aizen-san**_

_Please there is no need for such formality Kuchiki-chan, you can call me Sousuke._

_**No I am afraid I cannot for you see it would be too weird to call you by your first name. I feel that it is far too intimate and only Ichigo should be the one to call you that.**_

_Perhaps you are right Kuchiki-chan but let's keep this between us._

_**Of course. **_

"Tell me Ichigo-kun have you ever been to a ballet?"

"Once when I was 6, a friend of mine was in the Nut Cracker."

"Did you like it?"

"It was alright I guess. All the twirling was bit much for me but," the boy shrugged "Whatever floats your boat."

"Did you perform on stage Ichi-chan?"

It was quite clear that Gin was enjoying himself. Making the boy blush several lovely shades.

This breakfast couldn't have been any better if Aizen had planned it.

()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

_Was he doomed to be teased for the rest of eternity?_

Apparently so.

"My old man wanted me too, said it would teach me balance and grace," Ichigo ate a few bites of food and then continued, "Thankfully my mother hadn't permitted it."

"From the sound of things it seems like your mother makes all of the final decisions."

"She does but that's only because goat face is too busy being an idiot."

"You shouldn't speak ill of your father Ichigo."

"Don't get me wrong Tousen-san, I love the idiot but-

"But?"

"Oh stop getting so defensive Tousen-san, Ichi-chan is not callin' you a bad father."

"I am well aware of this Gin but I still don't think it is right for a child to speak about the man who raised him in such a disrespectful way."

"Yer a good father Tousen-san but not every one has a good father. My pops spent most of his time drinkin 'stead of payin' attention ta me and I still turned out fine."

"What does that have to do with anything? Look all I'm saying is—

"Ichigo-kun they are going to be at this for awhile, why don't you and I continue our conversation in the upstairs library?"

"There's no need to do that Aizen-sama, I need to be going anyway."

"So soon Tousen-san but we're bondin'"

Milky eyes narrowed to slits "If you wish to continue recounting the days of our youth Gin, then you are free to accompany me."

"Where?"

"I am grabbing a few things from the office and then I am continuing on to my intended destination."

"And what destination might this be?"

"You are free to come along and find out." Tousen rose from his chair "It was nice to meet you Ichigo. I hope that you will visit us again."

"Oh he will in fact before this day ends I betcha Ichi-chan will never want ta leave us."

"Uh well I—

"Yer cute when you stumble ov'r yer words Ichi-chan. Tousen-san and I will be back shortly."

"Gin, Kaname?"

Both men turned their attention to Aizen.

"In the top right hand drawer inside my desk you will find a package. See to it that it is delivered today."

"Yes Aizen-sama."

()()()()()()()()

Ichigo didn't get it. He just didn't understand—

"Something on your mind Ichigo-kun?"

"Those two, they—

"Gin and Kaname are polar opposites but their relationship is more like an older and younger brother. They bicker and irritate one another but when the time to defend one another comes, they do so with out even thinking about it. As for why they address me as Aizen-sama? Well the answer is quite simple: Everyone living under my roof is by default under my command and therefore they are to address me as Aizen-sama, Aizen-san or Otousan."

"You have a kid then?"

"I have many children but only one of them is under the roof at this time. It is her winter vacation, she will return to boarding school at the start of January."

"Oh right well I guess I'll be going then."

"That is not an option."

"The hell it isn't! Look I said my apologizes, drank your stupid tea and ate your damn breakfast and now I am taking my friends and we getting ou—

"What are you so nervous about Ichigo-kun? Are you afraid that just by being in my presence you will lose control over yourself again?" A smirk "I'm flattered."

"Y—you stop doing that!"

"Doing what exactly?"

"That smirk thing."

"Does my smirk thing as you call it really bother you that much?"

Oh Ichigo was bothered all right. Hot and bothered,

And the damn bunny costume damn sure wasn't helping.

"It's just—" He adjusted the fabric a bit "I can't think when you're looking at me like that."

"You're the most appealing thing in this dining hall right now. Why would I want to look else where?"

The hell was wrong with him. He'd dealt with this man once before surely he should have built up some type of immunity to that smirk, to those eyes—

He was such a fool!

What the hell had he been thinking?

Did he honestly believe that the man was different just because his appearance was slightly altered?

"I'm not a thing!"

"Oh?"

"Asshole."

"I'm sure you have a lovely one."

Ichigo felt the red rising to his cheeks.

He wondered was it possible for one to die from humiliation?

"Don't say things like that! Why is it that every time I come across some one it has to be a pervert? Where the hell are all the normal people."

"You have a lot of admirers then?"

A snort. "Stalkers, admirers, perverts you name it, hell even my best friend who is in a relationship expected me join him in a threesome the other day."

Why was he telling the man this?

It was none of Aizen's business.

"Oh and did you enjoy it?"

"I didn't do anything you sick perverted old fucker!"

Okay perhaps that last out burst was a bit over the top but—

"Such language. I am not old but I certainly do like to _fuck_."

Hearing such a dirty word coming out of this man's mouth well—

_**/That's right King, come out of that denial, get on ya hands and knees and beg the 'dirty ole' man' to take ya right here on the table./**_

_/Shut up Shirosaki! Fuck—_

_**/Is exactly what ya'd be gettin' plenty of if ya would piss ya pride out the window and climb into Aizen-sama's lap.'**__/_

_/Don't call him that! He's Aizen or the bastard, not Aizen-sama!/_

_**/Oh come pn King just who do ya think ya are tryin' to convince. Ya ass was made for poundin'/**_

_/Right and next thing I know you'll suggest that I contact Kenpachi and Grimmjow and invite them over-/_

_**/Hey ya are the gang bang princess berry boy after all so-/**_

_/Shut up! I was pissed off that nigh! I wasn't really going to bend over and-/_

_/__**Oh it's just a small cherry King, ya probably won't even feel it./**_

_/Renji said-/_

_/__**He's an idiot and probably doesn't know the difference between a fuck and FUCK, NGH GIMME MORE!/**_

_/You—damn you! I swear you're such a pain in my ass!/_

_**/Once Aizen-sama is through will ya, you'll have a few more pains in ya ass!/**_

_/Argg I—JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!/_

"And was this friend of yours and his girlfriend disappointed when you declined their offer?"

"He has a boyfriend and they were both a little disappointed but—Ichigo reached for his tea cup and took a few sips "Chado and Ishida aren't like all the other perverted idiots out there. They respect my wishes and leave it at that."

"Why exactly did you decline the offer? And are you involved with some

one else?"

"Even if I was what business is it of yours?"

"I am interested in you and I like to be well informed about the other competitors."

"Even if there were other competitors—what would you care? I'm sure one of your "business partners" could give you plenty of—

"Gin and Kaname are friends and subordinates, nothing more, nothing less."

"Are you sure about that?"

"If Gin and Kaname were anything less than what I expected them to be, they would not be in my company or under my roof."

Company?

So maybe the man was fairly normal after all.

_**/Gettin' bit excited are ya King? Lovin' the idea of some major corporate leader taking you over his expensive—**_

_/Fuck off!/_

"How exactly does that work anyway? I mean it's a big mansion, I get that but three men and two kids under one roof? Isn't that a bit—

"Odd?"

"Well, yeah."

"I can assure you that there are no immoral or unethical practices going on under this roof."

"Hn, well whatever I'm leaving now."

"You did not answer my question."

Ichigo shrugged and stood up "Chado is like a brother to me and Ishida well—anyway thanks for breakfast and all b—oof!"

How the hell had the bastard moved so damn fast?

The orange haired male struggled to break free from the hold the man had on him.

"Easy, easy we don't want to tear this cute little costume now do we Ichigo-kun?"

He should knee the man in the groin or elbow him in the chest—anything but continue to struggle pathetically.

"Bastard! Let Go!"

"Why?"

Lips brushed the back of his hairline.

Sending shivers through him.

"What do you mean why? I don't want you to touch me!"

"Oh but I think you do." A tongue tickled his ear "In fact I think you came here dressed in this fluffy little costume because you intended to _seduce me."_

"Sed—Get the fuck off of me! I was tricked into coming here—look," Ichigo twisted and snarled "Sorry to burst your bubble old man but I don't want you!"

He was lying.

Well not lying exactly.

Truthfully he wasn't really sure what he felt towards this man at the moment.

Sure Aizen was attractive. And sure that voice and those eyes were almost hypnotic. But—

_**/But what King?/**_

He ignored the voice inside his head

"So your friends dragged you here?"

"Yes."

Almost instantly the hold the man had on him was released.

But the man was still speaking.

"And do you always do what your friends tell you to do?"

Ichigo flinched.

It was his imagination. There was no way the man's hand had just brushed against his ass.

"Bit sensitive Ichigo-kun?"

Ticklish actually but there was no way in hell he was telling this bastard that!

The man was—

"Come with me to the library Ichigo-kun, I grow tiered of this dining hall scene."

Not entirely against his will (although he would certainly state other wise if asked later) Ichigo let Aizen guide him away from the table, up the stairs and into the library.

()()()()()()

A grand library. Endless rows of bookshelves. Large windows. Chandeliers. An electric fireplace. And 4 long red velvet couches.

"Have a seat Ichigo-kun, we have much to discuss."

Why did it suddenly sound like the man had changed his tune yet again?

Aizen sat down on the couch closest to the fireplace, crossed one leg over the other and then tucked one hand under his chin.

"Tell me about yourself."

"What?"

"We can not proceed to the next step until we have learned about each other. Now we'll start with the basics: Age, Birthday, Favorite Color, that sort of thing."

Okay either Aizen himself had a split personality or—

"You already know my name, it's Ichigo. I'll be 20 on July 15th and I don't have a favorite color."

"Siblings?"

"2."

"Brothers or sisters?"

Was this really necessary?

It was not like he would ever introduce the man to his family.

"Twin sisters. Look I really don't thin—

"Everything is necessary. What are your goals? Hobbies? What do you hope to accomplish before you die?"

"What the hell is this?"

"Answer the question Ichigo-kun." Aizen removed his glasses and swept his fingers through his hair "What do you want to accomplish in this lifetime?"

"I don't have any real big dreams or aspirations. My old man wants me to go into the medical profession like him and my mother keeps pushing me for law school but neither one of those sound all that appealing to me."

"What does appeal to you?"

"Well I don't really know. I mean I'm not particularly skilled in any subject and the way I see it even though I'm already 19, it's too soon to set my life in stone."

"Hobbies?"

"Well when I was 15 I was kind of the lead singer in this one garage band and I still write the occasional song every now and then but—

"But?"

"It's complicated."

"Why is it complicated?"

"It just is."

"Will you sing for me some time?"

"Uh-

"Is part of the reason you left your band due to stage fright?"

"Well not exactly but-

"But?"

"Its none of your business."

"I see." Deep brown eyes flashed. "So there is a story behind it then."

Ichigo said nothing.

"What else do you like to do?"

"I do a lot of reading. And when I was younger I played sports and spent a lot of my time at the family dojo."

"Oh? And who in your family is the martial artist?"

"My Uncle Kaien. People say I look a lot like him only with brighter hair and a smaller waist line."

"I think your waist line is lovely."

Ichigo felt that all too familiar heat rising to his cheeks.

"Don't say shit like that!"

"Why? Do you not think you are attractive Ichigo-kun?"

That was the one thing he never really understood.

Sure he wasn't ugly but there was nothing particularly outstanding about him. And yet people were obsessed with him.

And why?

Because he inherited a large portion of his mother's features?

Because behind his scowl he was—

"Not really. I'm pretty average."

"I highly doubt that."

"Look just stop okay! I'm nothing special I'm just—I was cursed with this stupid orange hair and these damn feminine hips and everyone thinks they can—it's not my damn fault. I really wish they-you—stop making me feel like a—he trailed off, cinnamon and coffee colored eyes falling to the carpeted floor.

Why was he getting so upset?

Hadn't he long since buried this self-hatred?

Hadn't he said goodbye to the old Ichigo once he'd had that final session with Unohana-sensei?

"_**Yes but are you happy with yourself? The opinion of others does not matter. If you are content with being the way you are then that is all that matters."**_

"_I'm not exactly happy but well I guess I've come to accept that I'm always going to be a little different."_

"_**Being different is not a bad thing Ichigo."**_

_The boy scoffed._

"_**I'm serious."**_

_The boy snorted. "Like there's ever been a time when you're not serious Unohana-sensei."_

"_**You are too young to understand this right now but there will come a time when you embrace your uniqueness."**_

_Another snort. "Say that to all your patients do you?"_

"_**I don't have to they because already understand."**_

"_Tch good for them."_

"_**Why must you be so stubborn?"**_

"_Because I know how much it pisses you off."_

"_**I think there's more to it then that."**_

"_So what?"_

"_**It pains me to hear that you think so little of yourself."**_

_A shrug "It is what it is. So long as others are happy, then that's all that truly matters to me."_

"_**So that is your decision? To put all your focus on others and forget about yourself?"**_

_A cocky grin, "Got it in one Unohana-sensei."_

Why was he so damn weak?

What would it take to get people to stop treating him this way?

Should he write a damn autobiography and open their damn eyes?

He would not break down in front of this man.

He would fight back the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes.

And he would move forward.

He would stand up.

And he would leave.

()()()()()()(

(Aizen)

The boy was truly upset. Truly believed those lovely exotic features to be a curse.

For all of the youth's snapping and snarling. For all of his loud outbursts and masked strength—he was really quite fragile.

But not in the ways that would make him a lesser person but rather

July. Based on Astrology that would make the boy a Cancer.

Of course!

It all made sense now.

The switching of moods, the vulnerability, the crazed obsession with friends, family and overall security.

He had to learn more but first…

"Raise your head Ichigo-kun."

Aizen kept his voice calming and gentle.

Not quite reluctantly, the boy raised his head.

"I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself since you have just shared some of your own story with me."

TBC

.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. IF I DID Aizen, Grimm, Nnoi, and Ken-chan would live with Ichi under one roof!**

**Warnings: NON-BETA-ED (AS IN NEVER WILL BE) AU, UKE!ICHI FOREVER MORE, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Run-Ons, POV switch, AiIchi, OthersIchi, OtherAi…etc etc etc…**

**Dedication: To the one the only BonneNuit, no matter the style, no matter the setting she knows how rock love for the berry!**

Shades of Orange

Part 8

**The Makings of Aizen Sousuke**

Last time…

"_Raise your head Ichigo-kun."_

_Aizen kept his voice calming and gentle._

_Not quite reluctantly, the boy raised his head._

"_I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself since you have just shared some of your own story with me."_

_And Now…_

(Ichigo)

**The man gazed up at the ceiling for a moment and then started his tale..**

"I did not grow up in a traditional Japanese household as one might expect. My mother was a very opinionated and outspoken person. The role of a demure little housewife did not appeal to her. She did not like to be tied down or controlled. And told my father as much when he first showed interest in her.

My father, being an artist, had no desire to break her fiery spirit, he preferred to let her fly wild and free like a brilliant phoenix in the sky.

But even with his gentle heart, my father was not some docile creature who had cowered before her. For he knew that underneath the many layers of tough skin a young woman was crying out for love.

They married in the spring of my mother's 17th birthday. Her gown had not been white but lilac, matching the color of her eyes.

Her hair, a rich chocolate brown, swept over her right shoulder, a pearl comb holding it in place. Her skin nearly flawless and olive toned had been lightly powdered. In place of a bouquet she held in her hand a tiny box and inside the box a tiny water dragon."

Ichigo did not mean to be rude but a _water dragon?_

He raised a thin orange brow

This story was beginning to sound like some type of fairy tale not real life.

If Aizen was affected the skeptic look, the man did not show it.

Still—he'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly intrigued with the tale.

Olive toned skin? Lilac eyes?

"Did you inherit more of your features from her or your father?"

"My father was the son of one of the many Dukes in Germany. The only thing I inherited from him were his brown eyes, the rest of my features came from my grandfather on my mother's side."

"Royal blood then?"

"If you wish to see it that way."

What did the man mean by that?

Ichigo shook his head, deciding it was best to let the man continue with his story.

"So a water dragon huh? Why a water dragon?"

"We'll get to that."

"So when did they decide to bring you into the world?"

()()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

The boy seemed genuinely interested to learn more about him.

Who was he to let such an opportunity pass by?

"It was late in the Month of May. My mother, despite being 8 months and several weeks along in her pregnancy had decided to go on a spur of the moment adventure into the great land down under."

"So she was hopping around like a kangaroo with you inside her belly?"

The boy's tone was playful and teasing.

Eyes shining with laughter, the kind of laughter he didn't dare show on his lips. He had loosened his stiff posture, started to relax, falling back into the cushions of the red velvet couch. Curling his feet and hands, bending that young, lithe toned body almost artistically.

It reminded Aizen of the article.

"How many times have you modeled?"

The boy tensed, full on scowl returning.

"I don't know how you found out about that but believe me it will never happen again."

"Shame, why not?"

"What if I asked you to model for me?"

He would never get enough of seeing those perfectly sculpted boyish cheeks turning a fine shade of red.

"You wouldn't even consider it Ichigo-kun?"

The boy refused to answer. He would ask again at another time but now it was time to continue the story…

"Many times when my mother recounted the story, a small smile dancing on her lips, she loved to point out that even with a high fever and painful contractions, she had been the most level headed out of the two of them. My father had been a complete wreck, sweating profusely when she went into labor."

()()()()(()()()()

(Ichigo)

Goat face was a doctor so Ichigo understood the risks of a woman going into premature labor. He did not understand how Aizen's mother could have been so careless, gallivanting around Australia when she should have been in bed resting.

It was nothing short of a miracle that Aizen was sitting here alive and telling the story to him.

"Were there complications?"

"Surprisingly not. I suppose it had something to do with the box."

"Box?"

The man nodded and stood up. Walking over to one of the bookshelves and pulling a leather-bound book out from its row. He made his way back over to Ichigo and passed it to him.

Ichigo read the title

_**The truths and lies about water dragons**_

Orange brows furrowed in concentration. Um okay what exactly did the man expect him to do with this?

Read it out loud?

"My mother believed that her ancestors descended from the water dragons. She believed that I was a gift sent from the deep and forgotten world of the mermaids and—

Right the man's mother was starting to sound like a bit of a quack. Perhaps it was contagious and Aizen himself had inherited some of her insanity?

_**/Yet another reason ta shack up with the man King, the family that is crazed together stays together./**_

"So you're saying that you are not human then is that?"

"In some ways one might say I am above the rest of humanity.

Talk about an arrogant ass.

"You're the type who loves listening to the sound of his own voice aren't you? And I bet you spend a lot of time looking at yourself in the mirror too," a snort "I'll bet even your own mother grew tiered of your narcissistic ways."

"I am not a narcissist. I was rather chubby as a child, didn't have very many friends in my own age group. My father was rarely around, always running off to find the next thing or person to become part of his new art project. My mother had shifted her focus away from herself and on to me, it was her wish to mold me into the perfect son."

The man's tone sounded bitter rather than fond.

"Later on in my teens, I realized just how very hypocritical that kind of behavior had made her. And so when I reached the age of 14 I broke away from her coddling hold and transformed myself into a new person. I started with simple things like 'how I should style my hair, what I would do in order to get my body into shape, should I keep my name or change it?

"You changed your name?"

"I took my mother's maiden name Aizen and my grandfather's first name Sousuke. I felt it sounded a lot better than Sigwald Alaric. My mother agreed and has called me Sou-kun ever since."

"So she accepted the new you?"

"She accepted my name change, that did not stop her from trying to smoother me with her love, did not stop her from telling me what I should eat for breakfast, what I should wear on my first official date—"

"You went on your first date when you were 14?"

It was weird to imagine this man, Aizen, as a teenager.

"We were having some sort of silly dance at school, a girl in my history class asked me to go with her. I agreed only because I couldn't wait to see the look of shock on everyone's face when they saw the beginnings of my new transformation."

"But didn't they notice the changes as you were going through them."

"I remained hidden, home schooling was the best choice. The only one who saw me was Simca-chan."

"She's the one you went with?"

"Yes."

"How long did it take, the transformation process that is?"

"Dropping the weight was easy, changing my hair was easy, the tricky part was building the desired amount of muscle mass. Initially I looked more like a pale flat-chested girl on the night of the dance. Heads turned, one in particular. An older man, posing as a stiff, uptight school librarian had revealed his true colors that night. His eyes had been dark, grin lecherous, fingers rough and slightly calloused but I had not run screaming and cried rape because _luckily_ he hadn't gotten that far.

The night security guard, who insisted on being called 'Yama-ji' heard a commotion coming from the library when he was running his rounds.

The strength and power hidden underneath hundreds of wrinkles and age spots, I remember my eyes were wide with awe. The fact that I had basically been assaulted didn't really seem to matter.

I simply pulled up my stained pants and followed 'Yama-ji' out of the library while 'Toka' remained unconscious.

We talked late into the night. Like a grandfather and grandson.

He presented me with my first 'Dirty magazine' and then drove me home.

Simca-chan had been most displeased with my abrupt departure but I simply had not cared.

One date did not equal a relationship.

When I walked in the door my mother took one glance at me, burst into tears and then ran upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom.

She nearly drowned that night.

It was the single most selfish act she had ever made.

A few days later, when I saw her lying on the bed in the large white hospital room, pink plush pillows cushioning her entire body, looking for all the world like a spoiled queen, I considered grabbing one of those pillows, pressing it into her face and waiting for her body to fall still, for her to breathe her last breath.

I thought about what her casket might look like, white marble with twin lilac dragons in each of the four corners. Imagined the tears falling down from my father's grainy face, he was such a mess, even there in my wild imagination.

When her lilac eyes fluttered open and met mine I squeezed her hand and told her that 'Her little boy was not broken, but reborn anew'

And then I left the room, made my way down the stairs and stopped in front of the nurse's station.

There were three women sitting behind the desk. The first was blonde, the second a brunette and the third a redhead. The blonde was flirtatious, the brunette was wary and the redhead was indecisive.

And yet at my call, they came to me.

As I knew they would.

Women love to be worshiped in one way or another.

Some might say I was bluffing my way through the entire process while others might call me a natural.

Knowledge is a terrible thing to waste.

What most humans do not realize is that anything is possible if you know what to look for, study their body language, their facial expressions and their behavior patterns.

I have bedded many women, each and every one of them were different but at the same time not."

"And yet here you sit with male college student, so tell me Aizen, at what point did you stop fooling around with women and move on to men?"

Ichigo did not know why he was asking such a question. It was not in his nature to question what a person did in their life. It was not in his nature to—

()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

"I was 18 when I spotted him in the restaurant, the same man who had helped me along in the process of reinventing myself. His hair had thinned out a bit, started going slightly gray around the edges of his hair line, eyes still dark but bloodshot. I was taller than him now and he had not recognized me.

I considered my options. I could set out to seduce and humiliate him or I could cut off his testicles and sell them on the black market."

The boy looked like he was going to vomit up his breakfast. The sickly green color clashed horribly with his vibrant orange hair.

"In the end I wound up doing both. Then I wiped my hands clean and set off into the night, a light spring in my step."

The boy scrunched up his nose in distaste "You're disgusting." He spat the words quite viciously.

"I am not a cruel man Ichigo-kun. For every action there comes a consequence. Just as he had done to me, I created him anew. He felt nothing but pleasure on that night. The evidence was on both our bodies as well as my gloved fingers."

"But you—I mean you—

"When I turned 19 I was introduced to the world of the Yakuza. As much as I would like to give you details I do not desire to have my tongue sliced in half."

"So you're a criminal then?"

Aizen threw his head back and laughed, "Heavens no, I wouldn't get myself mixed up with a uncouth, uneducated crowd like that."

"But you just said—

"A wise man keeps allies in all locations."

The boy frowned "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because I believe that hiding ones past is a cowards game. And I, Aizen Sousuke, am no coward."

"Do you normally tell people you're interested in about your life story?"

"I tell people what I choose to tell them."

"But I mean you must've fallen in love at one point or another right? You said you have children."

"I do. But only one is my legitimate child. The others are adopted. And love, has nothing to do with conceiving a child, Ichigo-kun."

"So then what you just used the woman? Do you even have a conscience?"

"I never said I did not love her. Do not put words in my mouth."

"So you adopted children. Just how many do you have exactly?"

"8 in total."

"Why so many I mean were you lonely or something."

"It has nothing to do with being lonely. I simply refuse to let the innocent suffer?"

"You mean you rescued them from broken or abusive homes or something?"

"Would you like to hear more of the story?"

"Yeah, I guess I would."

Once again the Aizen looked up towards the ceiling and then resumed his tale

"I was in my second semester of my third year in college when I met her. Golden eyes sparkling, long dark hair held up in a high pony tail, skin the color of a fine mocha latte, Shihoin Yoruichi."

"Your first love?"

Aizen shook his head. "A medical student and a talented one at that."

"You studied medicine?"

"It's one of my majors, yes."

Ichigo wasn't really sure what any of this had to do with Aizen's adopted children but-

"During her free time Shihoin was involved in a group that affectionately referred to themselves as the 'Flash Step Squad'. This group had one major goal in mind: To speed up the process of rehabilitation and healing of the human body."

"And did they succeed?"

"It wasn't as simple as snapping ones fingers. They experienced several complications and road blocks a long the way."

"What kind of road blocks?"

"Well for example one of their patients fell into a coma and when he finally regained consciousness he had lost the ability of speech."

It was truly a horrifying thought. But not unheard of.

"Did the family members of the victim sue?"

"Unfortunately Margera-kun did not have any living relatives and was placed into child services."

"And then what happened?"

"Let me answer your question with a question of my own do you believe in miracles Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo had to consider the question for a minute.

Did he believe in miracles?

_Well he suppose he might to some degree after all back when he had been a small boy and nearly got run over by an oncoming train –a split second right before his body would have gone crack and splat the train had stopped._

_And he was back in his mother's arms. Safe and Sound._

"I do. So what happened?"

"A business associate of mine decided to adopt him."

"Well that's nice but I still don't get w-

"Please do not interrupt me Ichigo-kun, I'd hate to _punish_ you for talking out of turn."

Ichigo was ready to tell the man to stuff it when-

"Margera-kun and my business associate bonded almost instantly and it made me realize something. I wanted to adopt a child of my own."

"How did one turn into 7? Oh and when did the legitimate one come on to the scene?"

"Spring had come. The circus was in town. As a man of many interests I had always been quite fascinated with the all the mystical and magical illusions that went into a performance. I found myself drawn to the child with sea green hair and bright hazel eyes. She was performing some sort of wild acrobatic stunt."

"_Drawn?_ What the hell! DO you mean to tell me that you're some kind of pedophile?"

Aizen's dark eyes flashed, his gentle tone was gone "Do not ever use such a _disgusting _word in my presence again!"

Ichigo no longer felt relaxed. He no longer wished to sit here and listen to Aizen's story. He just wanted to crawl under a rock and-

"You'll have to forgive me Ichigo-kun, I did not mean to raise my voice."

And just like that Aizen was back to normal.

"While I admit it wasn't exactly legal, arrangements were made and 3 days later Odelschwanck-chan was under my roof and my care. Her half brother, Jiruga-kun snuck into the back seat while I was finalizing the contract with Adachi."

"And the others?"

"We'll get to that next time. Now then-

"Why am I here? What exactly do you want from me? Am I some kind of replacement to some long-lost lover of yours?"

A replacement?

Once again the boy was exhibiting the kind of characteristic behavior that was second nature to his astrological chart.

Not paranoia. But self doubt.

Over the course of time, he would change.

Be reborn anew.

"You are not a replacement." A small smirk "I've never met a creature quite like you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"I'm not a creature!"

The boy stood up, swiping a hand through the air.

It was quite amusing.

"Stop smirking! Not everything is a damn game. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?"

The boy threw both hands up in the air "I give up. This is ridiculous. I'm leaving."

A minute. Two minutes. Three minutes passed. The boy had not moved towards the door.

Rather he started pacing back and forth.

Muttering under his breath.

Aizen caught the words 'why, attracted, damn and fabric.'

()()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

'_Why am I still here? Why am I still attracted to this twisted heartless man?'_

/_**You like em' bad King./**_

_/No I don't!/_

/_**Yeah ya do. I still remember when ya first encountered Grimm, ya couldn't even keep ya attention focused on what the professor was sayin' All ya kept thinkin' about what was 'Wonder if his hair is natural, wonder if he wouldn't mind if I touched it' I kinda just want him ta look in my direction-/**_

/_I said no such thing. I never—I mean sure I had a lot of wet dreams about him and stuff but—_

_**/When ya met 'Pachi, all ya could think 'bout was if he'd take ya dry or loosen ya up first—then ya were so disappointed when the guy said he wouldn't touch ya unless ya asked first. But ya didn't ask King because ya like to torture ya self. Ya like to get em' all worked up and then shy away from em' One day it'll catch up ta ya, one day the guy won't be nice like Aizen-sama, Grimm and 'Pachi—one day you-/**_

_/Would you just shut up already! I mean so I'm not entirely turned off by rough affection and I did get a bit hot and bothered when Aizen told his story, 'course I'm glad he got his revenge on the bastard-/_

/_**Sure ya are because ya don't want ta even think about Aizen being less than a suave seme ready ta pound ya eternal uke ass—that's what really turned ya off! Ya don't want to be 'round some wishy washy bottom bitch—because ya want ta be the bitch-/**_

/I do not!/

_**/Whine, whine princess berry, whine whine all ya want! That won't change a damn thing./**_

_/I could be seme./_

_**/Don't make me laugh King./**_

_/But I could—it can't be that hard./_

_**/Ya are such a dumb ass King! Tryin' ta lie ta me when I'm part of ya. I know damn well that you've gone limp at the idea of bein' in control in that way. Not sayin' ya would be a whipped puss but ya would much rather be the one bein' plowed not the one doin' the plowin'/**_

'_Damn this stupid fabric!'_

Shirosaki laughed inside his head before falling silent once more.

"So why am I really here?"

The man stood up and walked towards him.

"Every creature desires to know about the unknown, even you."

"So what is this like some prequel to the seduction process or something?"

Why did he care?

What was he searching for?

Was he hoping to prove both himself and the one inside himself, his other personality, wrong?

Did he want Aizen to show him just how much of a seme he was capable of being?

The answer was…

YES.

The smirk had returned to the man's face, he was nearing closer and closer to Ichigo now.

"_Perhaps."_


	8. Chapter 8

_Why Aizen and Ichigo? Aizen is evil and heartless. There's no way Ichigo would ever fall for a bastard who threatened to kill all his friends and family. _

_Why Grimmjow and Ichigo? Sure they like don't completely loathe each other's guts what with the "saving" and all but really come on! I mean maybe they could be like friends or something but love? Tch, yeah right! _

_Why Kenpachi and Ichigo? Sure it makes more sense than Aizen or Grimmjow (with Kenpachi being one of the good guys and all) but still Kenpachi only wants to fight and kill-he couldn't care less about anything else. _

_And Nnoitra? Wow you're really f*cked in the head huh? What the hell does that freak have that Ichigo would want anyway-certainly wouldn't be his looks. Or his personality for that matter. _

_How can you sit there and call yourself a BLEACH fan when you don't even follow CANON? It's pretty obvious to anyone with a brain that Ichigo belongs with Rukia or Orihime-yeah that's another thing-why do you call her Inoue all the time? You're jealous aren't you?_

_And then you sit there and type on your little keyboard about how a straight masculine guy like Ichigo is actually a sappy, whiny little gay boy who enjoys having things up his ass. You need help seriously. Not every damn character in every damn series is gay. _

_Maybe Next time when you pick up your pen or your fingers touch the key board you'll remember that you'll never be Kubo-sensei! _

**Nah really and all this time I thought I was. Why are Disclaimers so ridiculous?**

Dedication: Bonne Nuit for always being there when it counts!

Warnings: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, AU, OOC-ness, AiIchi, OthersIchi, etc, etc, etc….

Shades of Orange

Part 9

**SHOW SOME SKIN**

In the last chapter…

"_So why am I really here?"_

_The man stood up and walked towards him._

"_Every creature desires to know about the unknown, even you."_

"_So what is this like some prequel to the seduction process or something?"_

_Why did he care?_

_What was he searching for?_

_Was he hoping to prove both himself and the one inside himself, his other personality, wrong?_

_Did he want Aizen to show him just how much of a seme he was capable of being?_

_The answer was…_

_YES._

_The smirk had returned to the man's face, he was nearing closer and closer to Ichigo now._

"_Perhaps."_

_And Now…_

(Aizen)

Aizen reached for Ichigo's hand, pulling the fluffy white glove off. Turning it so that the palm was facing up, tracing the lines and grooves—bringing the boys' hand to his mouth, coating the finger tips with his warm saliva.

A sharp inhale. The boy began to squirm. Tried to pull his hand away from him.

After a few minutes, Aizen pulled the tips out of his mouth but did not release his hold on the boys' hand.

Deep chocolate brown eyes met cinnamon and coffee colored ones.

If he were a lesser man, he'd pounce.

But that was not the way Aizen Sousuke did things.

Voice dripping with desire. He asked the question.

"Tell me Ichigo-kun, when was the last time you touched yourself?"

()()()()()

(Ichigo)

It was growing almost increasingly difficult to continue sitting here. Why was he still here? How many hours had passed? When had he decided that it would be a good idea to relax? Now he was perfect bait.

Why was he squirming around? It only made matters worse. He already felt restricted in the tight white fabric. if Aizen didn't stop what he was doing Ichigo would—

Huh?

Had the man just asked him a question?

"What?"

He watched, as the man enunciated each and every word.

It was almost as if his lips were moving in slow motion.

"_**When**_ _**was**__**the last time you touched yourself**_**?"**

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he blushed in mortification.

Even with all the things the older man had told him with in the last hour or so, he still didn't feel comfortable to be talking about something so personal.

"I—Don't ask me something like that!"

"Why not? There is nothing wrong with—

"Yes there is! That kind of thing is private. You don't just bring it up in casual conversation."

"Why does it upset you so much?"

"Because I-" he trailed off and tried to distance himself from the man as much as possible. "It just is okay?"

"You should not deny yourself from feeling pleasure Ichigo-kun. You should embrace it entirely, only then will you be truly happy."

Aizen the all knowing. Seriously where did the man get all these lines, these lessons of life? It was—

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

The man was upon him again, touching him, not staying focused on one particular place—roaming his body, seemed to be searching for something.

Mumbling about zippers.

Zippers?

"_Ah_."

The sound of triumph.

Ichigo shivered as Aizen's cool hand met the first revealed piece of his flesh.

He was going to kill Rukia for making him go commando today!

He had to put a stop to this before the man pulled the zipper on the bunny costume down even further.

He had a slight advantage because unlike most costumes with a zipper up the back, this one had two zippers, one on each side. Luckily Aizen had only discovered one so far.

Ichigo could turn away from the man, jerk violently against the hold and then flip over the back of the couch and race out the door.

It could work. He just had to time it correctly.

All thoughts of escaping left his mind when fingers danced along his ribcage before dipping lower and meeting his hipbone.

He gave another sharp inhale at the sound of a second zipper this one was higher up by his chest.

There was a loud ripping sound.

Ichigo did not want to think about what it meant

()()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

Caramel creamed colored nipples met his dark heated gaze. He hadn't had the time to fully appreciate them that night in the taxi, but now he would lather them with undivided attention.

()()()()()

(Ichigo)

The solution came to him—he would lie there like a limp rag doll and not utter a single sound.

The man would eventually grow tiered of his lack of participation. He would shove him out the door and—

Moaning loudly was not part of the plan. Pressing his chest closer to the man's mouth was not in the script. Feeling blood rising to his nether regions was not—

He could fight this! He could fight—

Letting out a louder moan, practically a howl this time was entirely out of the question

Damn it!

He was not enjoying a single minute of this—he did not find the man's tongue to be sinful and heavenly all at the same time.

He did not guide the man's hand down to his clothed cock—he did not

_**/'Lovely mantra ya got goin' there King./**_

The inner voice was laughing at him.

But Ichigo simply did not care because none of this was real—none of this wa—

"Father have you seen my—_OH MY GOD_!"

A new voice reached his ears, pulling him away from the pleasure he was trying so desperately to deny was even happening.

It sounded like a female.

He wanted her to go away, leave him alone to—NO! This was his chance—with the female now here he could—

Warm sticky fluid coated the bottom half inside his costume.

Damn it not again. He hated walking around with wetness clinging to his skin and this material was the worst.

Maybe he could take a shower in Aizen's bathroom before heading home.

_**/Sure that's a wise idea King?/**_

_/I'll lock the door.'/_

_**/Hmm and somehow I doubt that would keep em' from comin' in./**_

_/Yeah well then I'll let him join me so long as he keeps his hands to himself./_

_/__**Good luck with that one King. Sooner or later, he's totally gonna claim your tight lil' berry ass./**_

()()()()()()

(Aizen)

"Damn it father! Take your mouth off that cheap slut for a minute and pay attention to me. I'm your daughter."

Aizen did not want to pull himself off the boy but he could only take so much of Hinamori's whining.

He looked over his shoulder and at the girl, wishing that his glare could rip the flesh and bone right off her body.

"Hinamori I do not know where your yellow sweater is, now leave."

She knew better than to snap out demands at him. Knew better than to pester him with foolish questions.

"What? That _thing_ is more important then me?" The girl scrunched up her nose in distaste. "It doesn't even look normal. No one but a freak has hair that color."

"Silence."

"But father I—

"Do not make me repeat myself Hinamori."

The girl opened her mouth, snapped it shut and stormed off.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo had caught the tail end of the conversation and sat up with a frown on his face. "That wasn't very nice, you shouldn't treat your daughter like that."

Aizen rounded on him, the last of the irritation in his eyes fading away and becoming something Ichigo was more familiar with.

The man grasped his chin and tilted it upward "Do not lecture me on my parenting skills, Ichigo-kun."

And then he captured his mouth in a kiss.

The kiss was—it was almost as if Aizen was mapping out every corner, tongue brushing over teeth, gums, the roof of his mouth, everywhere, not missing a single spot.

Hands had found there way on to his body again, pulling the fabric of his costume, ripping it even more, exposing more of his flesh.

He let out a yelp when Aizen's hand closed around his cock, stroking it slowly, the warm fluid acting as a lotion to his overly sensitized flesh.

He could feel the man grinning against his mouth. He wanted more. Needed more.

And then just like that, the stroking stopped and Aizen pulled away from him.

"So how about some lunch?"

Was the bastard kidding?

Who could think of lunch at a time like this?

He didn't want to eat.

He wanted—

_**/Patience is a virtue King, I'm sure he'll play patty cake with ya bod again. But maybe you need ta motivate him in ta doin' so./**_

_/Motivate him how?/_

_**/Oh I'm sure ya can think of somethin'/**_

_/Why should I? He's the one who started this?/_

Ichigo wanted to scream in frustration.

He hated being toyed with.

He told Grimmjow as much when they hooked up last night.

Well it wasn't a hook up per se but he made it quite clear to the blue haired male that he did not want to be jacked around.

_**/Certainly didn't stop ya from jackin' off though eh King?/**_

_/That was different. And it's not like I did it in front of him./_

_**/Nah that'd been ta much ta hope for but hey ya could always start now?/**_

_/Not happening. I don't even know Aizen that well/_

_/__**King ya realize ya sound like an idiot don't ya? I mean ya went home with Kenpachi, a man ya just met-/**_

_/That was different./_

_**/Right and I'm ole' Saint fat one./**_

_/It's Saint Nick and what the hell does that have to do with anything?/_

_**/The point is King ya preach on and on about how ya aren't ready for A, B, and C but then ya turn right around and do D, E and F—well perhaps not F yet but-/**_

"Did you enjoy yourself Ichigo-kun?"

He nodded. Because even though this man was a bastard he felt no need to lie. Just was quite irritated that it had come to an abrupt halt.

"Good. Now touch yourself."

WTF?

_**/Damn King I should win an award for basically guessin' what he wanted ya ta do next/**_

_/Yeah well I'm not doing it./_

_**/Suit ya self but I don't wanna hear ya complainin' later over ya own stupidity/**_

"Um can I just use your bathroom and go home?"

"No you aren't in any condition to go anywhere, Ichigo-kun."

"And whose fault is that? You get me all—

"Excited?"

"Yes! And then you just stop."

"And that frustrates you?"

He wanted to wipe that arrogant smirk off the man's face once and for all but all he could do was sit there and glare.

"Finish it!"

_**/I doubt makin' demands will work on this guy. If ya want ta get a lil' ya have ta give a lil' King./**_

_/I'm not touching him!/_

**/'Fraid his cobra will bite ya?/**

_/Cobra?/_

_**/Has all the blood rushed into ya brain ta King? Don't be such a dumb ass/**_

_/I'm not touching him!/_

()()()()()()()

(Aizen)

The boy was demanding that he finish it.

That bottom lip jutting out, begging for attention.

Begging was not necessary.

All he had to do was ask.

Simply ask for more.

"Look at me."

He was not hypnotizing the orange haired youth. There was no longer a need for that course of action.

Half way through his story, the youth had fallen.

And he would continue to fall.

"Push the rest of the costume off your body."

On wobbly knees the boy slowly rose to his feet and pushed the fabric down to his ankles.

"Bend at your knees and step out of the pants."

The boy shivered and bent that shapely behind of his.

Awarding Aizen with a preview of what would come all in good time.

"Walk over to the fireplace and lie down on your side."

The boy opened his mouth but no sound came out. He appeared to be lost in thought, stopping his movement entirely.

Still stubborn even at this point?

Kurosaki Ichigo was something special indeed.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

_**/Don't tell me ya are thinkin' bout that damn dream again/**_

_/Well there was a fireplace in it/_

**/Yeah but he was also sittin' in some throne like chair and ya had a freakin' feathered buried in ya ass/**

_/Still its-/_

_**/This is pointless. If ya don't make up ya stupid mind soon I'll come out and make it up for ya. Would ya like that?/**_

/No I would not! You'll just turn me into some wanton slut/

_**/Don't be stupid. I'm just gonna tell em' that ya want ta take this to the bathroom/**_

_/Yeah right and the moment I get full control back over my mind, I'll find my body covered in cum and blood. No thanks./_

_**/What's the big deal? Sides lil' blood never hurt ya before/**_

_/Renji said-/_

_**/Ya friend is a fuckin' dumb ass right get it through ya damn skull. Think 'bout it, whoever ever the redhead hooked up with, the guy probably didn't even know what his was doin' but the man you're with is different. He's got years on him, don't ya think he's mastered the skill by now?/**_

_/Well-/_

_**/Want ta cling ta ya cherry lil' longer? Fine, tell em' that**__/_

_/No! I mean yes I mean. Look I'm tiered of waiting but at the same time I-/_

_**/King no one said ya gotta marry the guy/**_

_/Rukia and Inoue think I'm going to/_

**/**_**Who cares what they think? Their nothin' but horny fangirls, 'course they want ta see ya get hitched. Chicks love weddins'**_

_/But-/_

_**/Time is wastin' King. Ya either do it or ya don't/**_

_/I—I can't/_

**/**_**Shut up and listen ta me. Now once ya are lyin down on ya side, close ya eyes and imagine ya are alone. Then just let loose, everyone will get what they want and I can finally get some peace/**_

/_Peace? You're the one who decided to drop back in unannounced/_

_**/Hey I appear when ya want me ta appear. Don't act like ya are not grateful/**_

_/Why Aizen? I mean why couldn't you root for me and Grimmjow or me and Kenpachi or hell even me, Byakuya and Shuhei? I wouldn't mind sharing/_

_**/King are ya kiddin' me? That's like comparin' apples ta oranges. Butter ta sour cream 'sides this guy lives like a freakin' celebrity/**_

_/I don't care about shit like that/_

_**/Yeah ya do. Deep down ya want to be wined, dined and catered to. Aizen is the most ideal for that/**_

_/He's also arrogant, quite possibly unstable, violent and-/_

_**/Ya lovin' every single minute of it/**_

_/Last night you said/_

_**/Last night was last night. Just like the night before the last was the night before the last. Ya need ta stop tryin' ta fool ya self King./**_

_/I'm not fooling myself. Sure Aizen is interesting and attractive but he also has a bunch of people livin under this roof? What the hell would happen if I moved in? Would I become some sort of new age Betty Crocker?/_

_**/Ya would like that wouldn't ya King?/**_

_/Well maybe I mean NO I WOULD NOT! Stop doin' that!/_

_**/Look King nothin' is officially set in stone. Ya are just explorin' ya options remember?/**_

_/Yeah./_

_**/Well then get to it/**_

_/You're right. I can—this won't mean anything. I'm just going to enjoy/_

_**/Exactly/**_

_/You know if you were a human I'd kick your ass./_

_**/Yeah and I'd fuck yours!/**_

_/Can you just focus for a minute/_

_**/Ya brain is mine, King/**_

()()()()()()

(Aizen)

He was not testing the boy.

He was helping the boy along.

For one could not truly find pleasure until they let go entirely.

"Relax your muscles."

It was careful instruction. Almost a whisper. Or like a song really.

He would not move from his position just yet, the boy had to find his comfort zone first.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

_/I can still hear him. This is not working/_

_**/King seriously don't make me come out. I swear I'll make ya body jump the man/**_

_/You wouldn't dare/_

_**/Betcha ya Ass I would)**_

_/ I'm tiered damn it I just want to-/_

**/If you whine 'bout goin home right one more time I will come out and position ya tight virgin ass right on top of his cock./**

/You can't do that/

**/I can and I will/**

()()()()()()

(Aizen)

"You have a beautiful body. I don't understand why you are feeling so uncomfortable."

It was comical really to see the boy scowling so viciously even while he lay there naked as the day he was born.

"Earlier when you were on the couch, you bent your body in—

"Stop making those kind of comments!"

The blush had returned.

"Why? Does it embarrass you?"

He knew damn well that the boy was embarrassed. Which is why he kept teasing.

"Yes!"

"Well now that could be a bit of a problem."

"Problem?'

"How can we move on to the next step if you refuse to get past the first one."

"I'm naked aren't I? I think that's a pretty damn big step especially since I only met you once."

"Yes you are quite naked aren't you? And your body is crying out for release but you refuse to give it—"

"You're the one who—

"Me? I have no control over your body, Ichigo-kun."

"Yeah but you—"

"I what?"

"You still have your clothes on."

"Oh? Is that what this is all about it? I see. Well then perhaps I should take them off?"

"You should."

"Very well but one on condition."

"What condition?"

The youth was glowering at him. He was so tempted to capture that mouth once again but—

"That you watch me the entire time. Your eyes never stray from my own. Can you do that Ichigo-kun?"

"Yeah I can," the boy crossed his arms, a slight cocky smirk on his still reddened face "Go ahead and strip old man!"

"29, hardly makes me an old man."

"I know but—

"But?"

"Now look whose stalling? **What's the matter old man? 'Fraid ya won't meet my expectations? 'Fraid ya won't be able to perform**?"

It was most peculiar how cinnamon and coffee orbs flashed gold for a moment.

_Interesting._

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

_/What the hell Shirosaki!/_

_**/Hey King don't get so pissy, think he liked my lil' taunt or should I say ya lil taunt/**_

_/That wasn't me. I would never—_

_**/Shut up and enjoy-/**_

_/Fine!/_

Aizen was not rippling with muscles like Kenpachi. He did not have a perfect six-pack like Grimmjow but the man did have—

A natural sheen (which made Ichigo pause for a moment)

A glow? The man did appear to have a certain glow on his skin

And it didn't have a damn thing to do with the lighting coming in through the large window or the electric fireplace.

"_In some ways one might say I am above the rest of humanity."_

Suddenly those words sounded less arrogant and more like a fact.

Still no need to dwell on it, moving on—

Smooth and hairless (which Ichigo could appreciate since he did like a clean look—Kenpachi being the only exception to that rule—not that Kenpachi was dirty but—well he had a certain cave man type quality to him—probably the wild grin and hair and wait!

Stop and focus.

Aizen. Right now he was with Aizen so his focus should remain on—

Aizen had a good three or four inches on him in terms of height, their body types were quite similar, the man's torso was lean, lithe, reasonably muscular. He had pronounced shoulder blades (that could explain why he filled out a suit so well) powerful thighs and sturdy calves, his legs seemed to flex naturally much in the way Grimmjow's abs had NO!—stop thinking about others—focus on Aizen

Right so the overall package was simply luscious?

Would that be the proper word?

Well anyway the man was sexy in a way that was very different from Grimmjow and Kenpachi—

Aizen was truly in a lot of ways in a league of his own.

Ichigo wasn't an expert but at least now that he saw the man in all his naked glory—some of his nervousness eased away—

It was comforting to know that all though there might be some discomfort, Aizen would not tear him.

Not that he was going to have sex with the man.

But perhaps next time they crossed paths?

Next time?

Who said there would be a next time?

"So about that shower?"

"I can not allow that because you broke your gaze away from mine Ichigo-kun which means I win."

"Look—damn you I just want a damn shower!"

**()()()**

Aizen had led him outside—now Ichigo was quite literally freezing his ass off.

This was ridiculous.

Perched on a bench in an utterly ridiculous pose. Back hunched, shoulders curled inward, hands placed on top of his crossed legs.

"It's c-cold out here."

"You wouldn't even notice the temperature if you just let go."

"You keep saying that! Look I—

Aizen was beside him almost in a flash, body turned towards his own. One hand at his lower back, the other on his chest, eyes dark and intense.

"Forget about the cold. Concentrate on the heat and really let your body feed off of my warmth."

Ichigo had half a mind to ask the man if he ever considered becoming a professional voice actor for Aizen had the sexiest bedroom voice—anyone with a healthy libido would wet his or herself.

And speaking of wet—Ichigo could feel it returning, the familiar sensation of pre-cum leaking from his quickly rising erection.

He tried to ignore it and just focus on the warmth, curl closer to Aizen, get lost in the heat—

()()()

(Grimmjow)

He normally didn't make it a habit to replay his encounters with Kurosaki Ichigo but that is exactly what Grimmjow had been doing for the past well however many hours it had been.

_Close._

_He had been very close._

_He had had Kurosaki right where he had wanted him._

_The younger male was beautiful with the way his coffee colored eyes rolled back, the way that perfect mouth opened in a silent moan. Once he relaxed, stopped worrying about being caught and kicked out of the movie theatre, he really let himself go._

_The taste of Kurosaki was delicious just as Grimmjow had always thought the orange haired male would probably be. But he couldn't recall ever tasting something so sweet until now._

"_Come to the mountains with me."_

"_The mountains?"_

_The orange haired male was cute when he had that confused expression on his face._

"_Camping. You, me, some hiking and some other things." His tone was purring and suggestive._

_Kurosaki seemed to really be considering his words. Orange brows furrowed in concentration, a slight blush on boyish cheekbones. He was playing with the hem of his shirt, offering a nice teasing glimpse of his taut stomach._

_Grimmjow enjoyed the moment but then again he enjoyed everything that Kurosaki did._

_He had half a mind to just drag the younger male into the restrooms— take him right there in one of the stalls._

_**/Another time for now I just want to enjoy whatever he's willing to offer/**_

"_I-_

_Coffee and cinnamon met his own electric blues, seemed like Kurosaki was searching for some kind of answer?_

"_What is it?"_

"_Why me?"_

"_Why you? Are you serious?"_

"_I'm dead serious Grimmjow. I don't want to believe the rumors but I won't let you fuck me over either. If all you are aiming for is a way to put another notch in your post, then I want no part of it. But if you are genuinely interested in me well then I might go camping with you someday."_

"_Kurosaki I don't plan to fuck you over. I just plan to __**fuck**__ you."_

"_That is not good enough."_

"_You are the world's shittiest liar did ya know that Kurosaki?"_

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

_Kurosaki's nostrils flared. The fine muscles in his forearms twitched. "I'm not a liar."_

"_Yes you are. You're not looking for a relationship, you're looking for release." A grin "And I can give you release."_

"_You asshole! I—Get the fuck away from me!"_

"_No."_

" _Grimmjow if you don't get the fuck away from me right now I'll—_

"_You can punch and claw and bite all you want Kurosaki, it won't change anything."_

_Brown eyes red and misty "W-Why are you doing this? What the hell do you want from me?"_

"_Save the dramatics Kurosaki, it won't work on me."_

_He wasn't trying to piss of the younger male (well maybe a little since getting Kurosaki all fired up was one of his favorite past times) but he didn't mean any real harm by it._

"_You are not a chick Kurosaki. You're not gonna break from a good hard fucking session. I've seen the way you interact with that Abarai guy, you have a high pain tolerance, in fact," Grimmjow circled the younger man's nipple through the fabric of his shirt with his fingers right before he gave it a sharp pinch. "You like a little pain."_

_Kurosaki was full on snarling now, blunt fingers digging and clawing._

"_That's right Ginger, give me a good scratch."_

The sound of a high-pitched whistle pulled Grimmjow from his memory.

"We're here."

()()()()()()()

(Kenpachi)

"You brought him breakfast in bed?"

"I'm still trying to figure out why he let the guy into his master bedroom with out the actual fucking going on."

"Don't you two have a model shoot or something to go to?"

"He's the model I'm just—

"The stage announcer, yeah I know."

"Aw that hurts, it almost sounds like you don't want us here."

"Don't you miss us anymore captain?"

"I'm not your captain anymore. That was a long time ago."

"Oh you wound me."

A snort "Acting was never your talent."

"Yes well I have many other talents."

"Being beautiful is not a talent."

"Being beautiful is an art form."

"And beauty is all you have."

Kenpachi let out a loud boisterous laugh. It was good to see his two former cadets again. Yumichika and Ikkaku were not your standard couple.

They did love each other. They also lived together. But they didn't have fluffy pet names and other terms of endearments for one another.

They expressed their love through playful jabs and mocking laughs.

Next to his daughter, Ikkaku and Yumichika were the closest companions Kenpachi had.

It was not because he was an antisocial person-rather it was because he simply could not tolerate the majority of man kind.

His ex wife was special, his daughter was special, Yumichika and Ikkaku were special and Ichigo well—he was very special.

Kenpachi was looking forward to spending more time with Ichigo.

He was counting down the moments to when he would finalize the seduction, make the orange haired youth his.

He was excited. And perhaps on the brink of newfound love—Kenpachi did not love easily nor was he one to use the word 'love' so casually but there was just something about Ichigo—something about the youth that set him apart from all others.

"So when do we get to meet the strawberry?" Ikkaku asked right before he slurped down the rest of his soup.

"Ugh, Ikkaku must you make such a noise while you eat?"

"This is how men eat Yumichika, you should be proud," to further prove his point, Kenpachi picked up his own soup bowl and downed the contents.

He found Yumichika's horrified/queasy look amusing.

Always such a priss.

Kenpachi imagined for a minute what it would be like if Ichigo were that prissy.

_He would place his napkin in his lap and cut his steak into tiny little pieces, carefully chew each piece slowly, savoring the taste. He would dab at the corners of his mouth with his napkin, place the fork and knife back on to the empty plate. Rise from the table and push the chair in. Send a saucy wink in his direction and then sashay towards the living room—or better yet the bedroom._

_Yes the bedroom where he would then strip out of his clothes-leaving only black lacy panties and stockings on. Then he would crawl onto the bed and-_

"Earth to Kenpachi!"

Kenpachi wasn't the type of man who would get lost in a day dream, he normally would never zone out—

"It's a lost cause Ikkaku. I'm afraid our dear beloved ex captain is no longer with us."

"The strawberry must be something special then because I've never seen our ex captain have such a dopey looking grin on his f—urk!

Kenpachi loved to brawl. Loved to get a little bloody but he usually wasn't violent with Ikkaku or Yumichika unless they gave him a reason to be—accusing him of grinning like an idiot was a good enough reason.

He lifted the cue ball up by the collar of his shirt, raising him a good few inches off the ground.

"Nice going Ikkaku, you've awakened the beast."

()()()

_(Ichigo)_

Did he faint?

Is that why he suddenly found himself staring up at a dome ceiling?

How long had he been here?

Whereever here was.

No scratch that! It was not a matter of where but more like how he had wound up wearing a bathrobe.

And not just any bath robe but Aizen's bath robe.

There was no way Ichigo could mistake the silky red material on the inside of the plush white robe.

No way he could mistake that cool winter scent mixed with the rich undertone of brandy and something that he couldn't quite place.

_**/Fantin' and I thought ya couldn't get any lamer, King/**_

_/Look can you just go away for awhile. I need to do this on my own-whatever this is."_

_**/Fine. Wake me when ya stop bein so damn lame./**_

There was silence. Absolute silence in his head.

Nothing but the sound of his own breathing and the faintest drops of water.

Wait! Water?

Bathrobe and water?

No. Surely he hadn't blacked out that much. Forgot what happened?

The idea of being seen as vulnerable, weak or less manly was not appealing to Ichigo in the least.

It wasn't even about the teasing comments. It wasn't about the unexpected but not always entirely unpleasant encounters.

Ichigo just wanted to—

'_What do I want?'_

To be seen as an equal.

To be treated as an equal.

Not as a pet or a toy.

He did not wish to be used, abused and spat back out.

Call him a sap or an old-fashioned heart and soul but bonds were important to Ichigo.

Even if things did not work out with Aizen, he did not want it to end on bad terms, live with regrets asking what ifs.

Ichigo knew it was ridiculous to wrack his brain so much-knew how dumb it was to keep dancing around and be so indecisive.

When was the last time he truly let himself enjoy well… anything?

He had always been the type to put friends and family before himself and he would continue to do so as was his nature.

But he also owed it to himself to just be himself, without the interference/influence from others.

'_What do I want to do right now?'_

Well right now he still wished to take a shower

For Ichigo getting into a hot shower was a lot like a drug-not that he knew much about drugs except for that one time…

_Rukia nicked a baggy from the headmaster's office (what a headmaster was doing with drugs in the first place? No one could be sure nor did they really care—Rukia simply said. '__**Let's blaze up!**__' or something like that._

But anyway yes a real shower would help. Apparently Aizen agreed-why else would the man have carried? Yes carried him into well it didn't look like a bathroom exactly. It was more like a large room with high doomed ceilings, stained glass windows, a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, a mini bar and a sauna. But surely there had to be a real shower around here somewhere.

Ichigo walked over to the stained glass windows, hoping to get a better look. Glass always fascinated him.

He couldn't quite place the theme. Not dragons (which he had half expected after hearing Aizen's story) but some type of well he wasn't really sure what it could be called—the figures bodies were shaped much like humans but their heads/skulls were anything but human—sitting in a large court room?

"Ah I see the Rebirth of 46 Chambers has caught your attention." (1)

Ichigo turned to find Aizen standing there in a suit and tie bringing to memory the night of when all this 'not so insanity' had begun.

Was he headed to the office?

Somehow this thought really irritated Ichigo.

It had been a weird (but not an entirely unpleasant) day and he did not wish for it to end yet.

Aizen was not smirking-in fact there was no way Ichigo could even identify the man's facial expression-not even blank was a proper description.

Ichigo didn't like it. He quickly decided that he wanted to change it.

()()()()()

(Aizen)

Aizen did not pout. He was not the type of man to cry a river over a simple rejection. He was not the type of man to chase others-he would not chase Kurosaki Ichigo.

Yes it would be a shame to watch the boy walk out the door but—

"Oof!"

Aizen Sousuke was not a clumsy man, he did not stumble or trip and he most definitely did not—

Arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close, soft lips brushed against his own and then pulled away. Brown eyes half glazed, half flirtatious "Even you're not perfect _Sousuke_."

He had not expected for the boy to practically purr his name. The orange haired youth was certainly full of surprises-he knew the boy had it in him

(()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo lowered himself down to his knees, tracing the pinstripes on Aizen's dress pants with his fingertips. His brown eyes filled with purpose and promise. "I rather like this suit so I'm not going to ruin it."

Fingers moved away from the fabric of the pants and up towards the belt. He hesitated for a moment, brows furrowing and then he shook his head and continued.

A slight tug and the belt fell to the tiled floor with a clink.

Instead of diving right into to it-Ichigo gave the now unclothed flesh a curious sniff.

He didn't care if sniffing was strange. Because this wasn't about Aizen-or Sousuke—or well whatever.

Ichigo was tiered of falling in line, marching to the beat of another's drum. It was time for a change, if he was destined to be the 'eternal uke' forevermore than he should at least be able to set the pace.

It was his body and no one-not Aizen, Kenpachi, Grimmjow or anyone else for that matter would get to fully claim him unless he gave them the go ahead.

Which wasn't going to happen any time soon. Not until Ichigo figured out whom he wished to take a chance with.

It may seem a bit unfair or like he was being a tease but—

'_Enough focus on the task at hand!'_

The smell was clean just like the rest of the man—it was nice though-almost intoxicating in its own way.

Ichigo wasn't going to fool himself into thinking that he'd be a natural but he always caught on rather quickly-there was no doubt in his mind, he could—

()()()()()()

(Aizen)

The boys' mouth was made for his cock-it wasn't just the lust speaking, wasn't just the image of those pout peach creamed lips sliding up and down his length. The slight fumbles, like the few times when the youth's teeth scraped against his flesh had actually been a major turn on. The boy, clearly a fast learner, had caught on and started scraping his flesh on purpose, then switched it up.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

It came out like a particularly harsh wave crashing into a surfer, like a damn bursting open, like a—

Ichigo nearly choked but he was determined to catch and swallow down every single drop.

He felt like celebrating

And then it happened…

Aizen's legs trembled and Ichigo lost focus, some of the liquid spilled, running down his chin. He wiped it a way with a quick swipe of the hand catching it just before it hit his borrowed bathrobe.

_**/Ya should be proud King, ya did pretty good for a newbie/**_

_/Shut up Shirosaki!/_

"So uh so I see the pool and the door to the sauna room but where is the actual shower?"

A smirk "Let's find it together shall we?"

"What?"

"Then we can have lunch in the green house and after that you can go home."

Well that didn't sound too bad—

"On one condition."

"And what condition would that be Ichigo-kun?"

"Hands stay above the waist."

_/__**Really after all that ya still wanna play hard to get King?/**_

_/This is on my terms/_

_**/And everythin' else wasn't?/**_

_/Not really/_

_**/Hmph well I hope next time ya run into the magnificent Aizen-sama ya make up for lost time/**_

_/Why rush?/_

_**/What do ya really plan to hold onto ya virginity all that much longer/**_

_/Until I can make up my mind, yeah/_

"Fair enough. Now shall I carry you there or

"I'm perfectly capable of walking. Can you say the same old man?"

"Why do you call me that?"

"Well you are old, technically."

"I think you just say it to get a rise out of me."

"Hmm well considering what I just did—

"Feeling more confident now are we Ichigo-kun?"

"Well I'm no Aizen Sousuke formally know as _Sigwald Alaric_ but give me time."

"Please never mention my birth name again."

"Only if you promise to stop ruining my underwear."

"_Oh?_ But you weren't wearing any underwear today."

"True but that's only because," the familiar flush of red returned, "Any way just don't do it okay."

"How about for every pair I ruin I'll buy you 20 more."

"Let's shake on it."

"I've got a better idea," dark browns glittered "Spend Christmas Eve with me."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Is that a yes?"

"I'll think about it."

"That will do for now. Follow me."

()()()()

"She was blond with bronze toned skin, her eyes reminded me of poison ivy. She seemed perfectly normal, a house wife who took pride in taking care of her home and her teenage daughter. I never would have believed that she would raise her hand to the girl until I saw it with my own eyes.

She said she was on a new medication, it was messing with her mind, making her act out of character. I did not care to hear her excuses. I had seen more than enough.

I contacted my father's lawyer and arrangements were made and I had my second daughter. Now naturally I wasn't foolish enough to believe that I could raise all three children by myself so I started dating…

"And that's when you met the love of your life?"

They were in the green house having a late lunch just as Aizen had proposed earlier.

The man was sharing another part of his story.

"Not love but a special bond nonetheless. Simca-chan looked so very different I almost did not recognize her at first. She had a son of her own. He was so serious for a child. Face so white, eyes so green, I'd almost mistaken him for some type of life like doll at first.

Simca-chan had a fascination with mannequins, enjoyed painting their hands with polish, dressing them in wigs and rich fabrics, the boy looked like one of her prized dolls. It was pretty clear that even at that young age he was most likely sexually confused."

Ichigo snorted. "Gee, wonder why."

"We were vacationing in Greece when she was shot in the head. Died instantly. Shiffer-kun had no desire to go and live with his father so he became mine."

"So you're saying that even children can't resist you is that it?" Ichigo was teasing the man but there was some truth to it blended in.

"Some thing like that, yes."

"Hmm so what about the other 4?"

"Let's save the rest of the story for next time."

"What afraid you'll run out of stories?"

"No I'd rather hear more about you though."

"What's there to know? I already told you-

Ichigo didn't get to finish his sentence because Aizen leaned over and silenced him with a kiss.

He felt that familiar drunken sort of swoon wash over him.

()()()()

Ichigo let out a yawn while Aizen was towel drying his hair-why he was letting the man do it he honestly couldn't say but after all he'd done with the man, a simple assist in drying his hair was nothing.

"Where are my friends?"

This time he really was ready to leave.

He couldn't wait to go back to his dorm rooms and just pass out for the rest of the day. He glanced down at his panther watch, it was glowing a bright yellow, which meant it was well past noon.

"They left a little over an hour ago."

"What?"

"Calm down," a teasing smirk-no not a smirk but a smile- "They left a message for you."

Aizen passed him a sparkly pink piece of parchment, it was folded in quarters.

Ichigo unfolded the paper and read.

The first part was from Renji

**Sorry about the shit I put you through man, I was wrong. Heading to the Pocky Pals concert, I'll bring you a T-shirt or somethin'**

~RENJI~

The next part was from Inoue

_Kurosaki-kun,_

_I really didn't want to leave you behind but Kuchiki-san felt it would be best to let you have some alone time with Aizen-san. I completely agree._

_Remember to be safe =)_

Inoue

The last part was from Rukia

_**Ichigo, you idiot! Next time tell a girl when you plan to hook up with someone else. Playing the field is fine and dandy but in the end, you need a nice stable husband, Aizen-sama. **_

_**Oh and before you say I told you so, I was wrong. But how was I supposed to know that the silver fox was just a friend, turns out he's smitten with the little blond chef, Kira-kun. Any way don't do anything I wouldn't do although I know you already have you naughty boy. Smirk.**_

_**I'll leave a spare key under the welcome mat**_

~Rukia~

**TBC**

"**Ah I see the Rebirth of 46 Chambers has caught your attention." (1)**

**I like making references to canon!BLEACH sometimes, the difference is this: In my vision Rebirth 46 Chambers is like 46 Chambers but with half hollows running it, not shinigamis. It's kind of like what would have happened if hollows/half hollows ran Soul Society. Shrugs. I'm weird. Don't like it well…you wouldn't be the first to tell me as much**

**SLY**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE BERRY'S SWEET ETERNAL UKE ASS! **

A/N Who's ready for Nnoitra-sama? If you're not well...you're reading the wrong story.

**Warnings: AU, OOC, AiIchi, GrimmIchi, KenIchi, NnoiIchi, OthersIchi, Other pairings, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, slightly unstable minds, bits of violence (more like rough love really-er yeah) language, humor, mpreg, cross-dressing, switching views, the occasional rabid fangirl, stalkers, plotting (or something close to it) pleasant and unpleasant things (and or people) etc, etc, etc…**

DEDICATED: BonneNuit for always being one step ahead of the rest!

SHADES OF ORANGE

PART 10

**NEW FACE**

(Nel)

Nel wasn't proud of herself. What she was about to do or rather what she was about to ask her nii-san to do for her.

She hoped that things would work out for the best.

Hali said it would and Hali was usually right about things like this. Still-even knowing this didn't make Nel feel any better.

()()()

A knock on the window made Nel jump.

Dressed like a character from one of those foreign films about the mobsters or was it detectives from the 50's or was it the 20's? Whichever, was her half brother, Nnoitra Jiruga.

The dark silky fine texture of his hair had always made her jealous, even more so now since he had grown it out. Eyes like tiny black coals, one now covered up by a patch, the silver lining was a fine compliment to the rings adorning his tongue, index, middle and fourth fingers. High white collared shirt, black suspenders and black slacks, a striped jacket hanging over his left shoulder.

"Move your fatass and open the door Neliel!"

He was in a pissy mood. It was not Nel's fault. She tried to tell him that he should catch the 9 am flight but he had been stubborn (as always) and insisted upon the 6 am one.

Of course she was running 30 minutes late but it really wasn't her fault.

Nel quickly unlocked the door and the slid into the passenger side.

While she waited for Nnoitra to get settled in, Nel recounted the Nnoitra of the past.

At one time her half brother had been well not sweet exactly but helpful, patient and kind.

_Back at the factory he had often helped Nel out when she was going through a particularly difficult time._

_The factory—ah it really hadn't been a factory at all—it had been an underground circus ring, freak show really made up of neglected orphans and runaways and ruled by a rogue group of yakuza members._

"Stop spacing out and tell me where to go Neliel."

Nel bit her bottom lip

"I was hoping we could get some breakfast first."

()()()

**Nnoitra**

Okay so a small part of him did wish to return home after all this time of being away.

But truthfully he'd never really gone that far…just a little ways out towards the forest.

If his father or his siblings or anyone really looked for him they would have eventually run into him at some point.

But none of them had. Because no one had cared.

Which was just fine with Nnoitra Jiruga.

He didn't give a damn about this so called 'family' anyway.

He noted that Neliel had grown at least 2 more inches since he last saw her. And her hair was still as wild and untamed as ever.

()()()

(Kenpachi)

3 times.

3 times in life when a father must let his little girl go.

The first is when she comes home one sunny afternoon and announces that the cute boy in Class B asked her to the prom.

The second is when she packs her clothes, trinkets and books into several suitcases and sets off for college.

The third is when she announces that she's engaged to that cute boy from Class B who is no longer a cute boy but a man who plans to make a real woman out of her.

Zaraki Kenpachi is a reasonable, laid back man and he would never deprive his daughter of her happiness but agreeing to let some chin fuzz, sticky fingered punk with two left feet marry his baby girl?

What the hell kind of father would agree to that?

The girl is crying and cursing his name on the other end.

It pains him to hear the sound of her sniffling into the phone but he will not change his mind.

Not until the punk proves himself worthy of his daughter's hand.

"Bring him down for the holidays, then I can decided whether or not he can live to see another day."

The tone of her voice changes. Once again his little pixie child, Yachiru, his one and only daughter, is screaming with joy.

He puts her on the loud speaker.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you Papa Ken-chan!"

Yachiru is the only one who can bastardize his name like that-not even his ex wife was allowed to call him anything else outside of Kenpachi.

Speaking of his ex wife, she was planning to stop by soon, her Fruit Loop model boyfriend right behind her.

Kenpachi figures he should probably straighten up the place but—

"Ah screw it, I'm not looking to impress anyone except—

The phone rings.

"Ichigo?"

The younger male sounds as though he has either just woken up from a nap or is about to fall asleep.

And once again Kenpachi finds himself falling into day-dream mode.

_He imagines what Ichigo must look like at that moment. Heavy lidded eyes struggling to stay open. The slight rasp in his voice turning softer as he fights back a yawn. The way one foot is curled while the other hangs off the bed. _

_He should make a trip down to the youths dorm rooms before the week is up. Might find something fun to play with-college students-as he dimly recalls-have all sorts of toys._

_Perhaps if there is a sorority near by he could persuade Ichigo to put on one of the-_

"_**Kenpachi you're not listening to me!"**_

It takes him a few minutes before he realizes that Ichigo is irritated with him. The youth feels ignored.

"I hear you Ichigo and I can't wait."

No he did not hear everything that Ichigo was talking about but Kenpachi has always been rather lucky when it comes to-

"I'll see you then."

Ichigo plans to return the favor.

Cook him dinner.

Kenpachi has much to look forward to.

()()()()()()

(Starrk)

"Go ahead and pop the trunk. I got something in there for you."

Starrk has a difficult time trying to mask the amusement in his voice. Even more so when his blue haired companion eyes him strangely.

"What the hell do you mean you got something for me? What could I possibly—

"Just pop the trunk, its nothing bad."

"Fine."

Starrk fooled around with the radio station while Grimmjow searched inside the trunk.

After a moment…

"A happy hollows plushie?"

"A Ginger Go-Go deluxe edition leopard plushie but let's call her Ichigo."

"You know what Coyote, that's not a bad idea."

"Well since you couldn't get the real one to come I figured—

"Hey! Kurosaki never said he wouldn't go camping with me, he simply said he couldn't come along this time."

"I noticed that pretty shiner around your left eye. Berry get a little violent with you did he?"

()()()

(Ichigo)

**/King talk to me, what's on ya mind?/**

For once Ichigo's mind was well not clear exactly but more at ease.

When he had returned to his dorms yesterday afternoon Ichigo had not realized just how tiered he had been until his face hit the pillow.

But now he was fully refreshed and rejuvenated. And looking forward to meeting up with Kenpachi soon.

**/Grimm and Aizen-sama out of the equation then?/**

_/Well not exactly but look I'd rather not think about those two right now./_

()()()()()()

His mother was on the phone. She and his father were going out of town. Needed someone to take care of things in their absence.

Naturally Ichigo wouldn't say no.

"Sure I'll watch the house while you're gone."

"No. No problem at all."

"I'm on my way now."

"Yeah you too."

"Bye."

Ichigo laced up his shoes, grabbed his gym bag and left the health club.

On the way out he ran into…

"Nel?"

Dressed in yellow track pants and a white tank top, a rainbow striped sweatband around her right wrist.

"Itsuygo!" The sea green haired woman hugged him tightly.

"It's uh good to see you, Nel."

She squeezed him tighter "Nels sorry Itsuygo, Nel never meant to be bad."

Ichigo had no idea what the young woman was talking about.

What did she mean by 'never meant to be bad?'

He shrugged and gave her a small friendly pat on the back.

"No need to apologize Nel, harmless pranks are just that, harmless."

"No. Nels bad. Nels bad. Run Itsuygo, run away from Nels and—

"Neliel remove yourself from Kurosaki at once."

()()()()()()()

"Karin and Yuzu have already gone off on their class skiing trip but they left you a note on your dresser in your old bedroom."

"Oh they didn't have to go through all of that. We're going to see each other on Christmas."

"Yes but you know how your sisters are," Masaki grabbed her cherry red suitcase and set off down the stairs, Ichigo just a few feet behind her.

Once she reached the bottom, she turned to him.

"I really do wish you'd come with us."

"Nah, I'd just get in the way and besides you need a little time yourselves."

"I have plenty of time to myself, even when the girls are home, they keep to themselves, half the time I feel like I'm living in a house with spirits."

His mother sounded sad and lonely. Just what the hell had that idiot goat face been up to lately? What the hell was so damn important that he couldn't even take some time out of his day and spend it with his wife?

Ichigo grit his teeth "Why is that bastard ignoring you?"

"Ichigo, please don't talk about your father that way."

"Sorry but how can he be just so self absorbed?"

"Hey, hey what's all this about me being self absorbed?"

Ichigo turned to find his father decked out in a dorky fisherman's hat, lime green sunglasses, a purple and red animal print shirt, frayed khaki pants and yellow sandals.

The man could rival Renji with his hideous wardrobe.

"Come here and give daddy a good bye h—

The sound of his fist meeting the man's face with a loud crack was truly satisfying.

He ignored the over dramatic groaning from his old man and focused his attention on his mother.

"Promise me you'll enjoy yourself?"

Masaki sighed, set down her suitcase and hugged him tightly. "Only if you promise me that you'll find who or what brings you the most happiness."

Ichigo planned to spend the week basically doing nothing. Watch a little TV, maybe do a bit of cleaning, go down to the market and do some shopping.

"Maybe I'll invite Renji and Rukia over and we can watch a movie or something."

()()()()

(Inoue)

She was beginning to grow tiered of lying to her friends, especially Kuchiki-san.

She could not believe she had blown off Kuchiki-san for a day of shopping in favor of meeting up with Gin-san and Tousen-san.

Christmas is not far off now and time was running out.

"You seem ta be troubled Orihime-chan? Want to tell dear Gin-oji all about it?"

"It's just are we really doing the right thing? I mean Kurosaki-kun is-

"We met Ichi-chan at breakfast the other day right Tousen-san?"

"Yes we did and although Ichigo didn't appear to be all too thrilled to be sitting down with us at first, towards the end of meal he seemed to be in a much better mood."

Inoue was glad to hear this. Really she was but-

"Kurosaki-kun will never forgive me when he finds out what I've done."

Gin snickered "What you've done? Oh dear sweet Hime-chan you haven't done anything remember?"-

"Do not worry Inoue Orihime. It will all work out in the end."

"Exactly. Trust us Ichi-chan and Aizen-sama will thank us when all is revealed."

()()()()

(Starrk)

He hated the sight of seeing his long time companion looking completely and utterly miserable.

Looking so defeated.

They had been up in the mountains for at least 48 hours, maybe slightly under by now and Grimmjow had hardly said a word after he accepted the leopard plushie.

Hell the guy didn't even bat an eye when Starrk waved a perfectly good piece of catfish in front of his face.

Which was saying a lot because the blue haired male loved fish.

Normally Starrk didn't mind the quiet, only the sounds of nature reaching his ears, serenading him to sleep but he could hardly sleep when Grimmjow was so damn miserable.

Starrk was a smart guy even if he did sleep the majority of the day away. He was up and about when it mattered. And right now it mattered.

He walked around the little campfire and then sat down beside Grimmjow.

"Stop moping."

"I'm not moping."

"You can't really blame the berry, he's young."

"Not that young. You are the oldest one in our group and even you only got 3 years on Kurosaki."

"3 and a half."

"Whatever. All I'm saying is this: It's bullshit! All of it it-Kurosaki is supposed to be—

"IF you say that the berry is supposed to be yours I'll throw you off this mountain."

He really didn't like it when all of his companions talked about Kurosaki Ichigo as though he was some sort of mouse or play thing.

It irked him.

"Spare me the lectures Starrk, I don't care to hear it."

"No lectures. I'm just telling you to stop moping. If the berry wants you then he will come to you. And if he doesn't, then he doesn't. He can't help who he's attracted to anymore than any one of us can

help the attraction we feel towards him."

"Really? Then why haven't you chased him in awhile?"

"Hm about that well on the morning that Lili and I snuck into the hospital…

()()()()()

(Grimmjow)

"An older man huh? Not some domestic cupcake I hope."

Starrk snorted, "Nothing cupcake-ish about this one but I'm confident I can wrestle him on top the kitchen counter all in good time."

"I think you mean the examining table don't you?"

"No. You now how I can't stand the smell of all that antiseptic."

"Oh but think of the perks, plenty of instruments to play with."

"The good doctor doesn't care much for games."

"Heh, got a bit of a hard ass on your hands do ya?"

Grimmjow never got enough of hearing about Starrk latest conquests. His gray-eyed companion was the kind of guy who could capture just about anyone he desired if he chose to do so. And unlike Grimmjow himself, Starrk had never wasted time and energy on the fairer sex.

All beef nothing more, nothing less.

Grimmjow admired this trait in his goateed companion but he'd never voice it out loud.

"So how far did you get?"

"Not very far at all but then again you have to keep in mind that the good doctor has a reputation to uphold."

Grimmjow played with the tail on the leopard plushie. "So you gonna visit home for the holidays?"

"I've given it some thought. And you?"

"You bet your ass I'll be there. I'm not letting dear old "daddy" have what's been mine all along."

"You're going to challenge him?"

"Damn straight."

"And you think you'll win."

"I don't care about wining. Kurosaki is MINE."

"And in turn you will be his."

Grimmjow blinked. Did he just hear Starrk correctly?

Well good. It was nice to have another person in his corner.

"It won't be easy."

"Easy is boring."

()()()()()()()

DAYBREAK or something early…

(Ichigo)

It wasn't that big of a deal. Ichigo was simply returning the gesture. It didn't mean anything. It wasn't like he planned to dress up or put flowers and candles and other uber girly crap on the table. It was simple dinner with Kenpachi. Nothing more nothing less.

Okay so maybe it was a little bit more than dinner but still he wasn't going to do much besides fool around a bit, strip down, give Kenpachi a preview of what he might eventually win.

'_Wait a minute did I really just think of myself as a prize to be won?'_

_**/Ya are a prize, King./**_

_/Shirosaki shut up and don't ruin this for me./_

_**/Did I ruin the afternoon ya spent with Aizen?/**_

_**/**__Any way____Let's see now what to cook?_

_**/Keep it simple. Pachi'd rather eat ya anyway./**_

_/I'm serious. I'm not a complete moron in the culinary arts but I don't have twice the skills that mother and Yuzu have/_

_**/Ah but ya have the skills that matter/**_

_/Enough! Look I just well I want to do something nice. Kenpachi force-fed me that delicious breakfast and I want—_

_**/Just give him ya fine little berry ass/**_

()()()()()()

The supermarket wasn't too badly crowded which was nice. Ichigo couldn't stand to be in a crowded area for too long, it made him uneasy.

While it had been Ichigo's original plan to just shop for dinner and dessert, the longer he shopped the more he reasoned that he should stock up on groceries for the rest of the week.

Ichigo selected two melons, testing the weight and firmness of each one before placing them into the bag.

He heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind him and then a set of hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who?"

()()()()()()

(Halibel)

This was for Kurosaki's own good. So long Halibel continues to tell herself this, everything would be fine.

Halibel knew that attacking Kurosaki's mystery friend/lover/whatever was entirely out of the question. Not to mention foolish.

She could not just go an attack someone out of the blue nor could she defend herself should the guy decide to retaliate.

Halibel was not a violent person. It was not in her nature to fight.

They would leave the lover alone and just target Kurosaki himself.

She knew that choosing Nnoitra to do the attack probably wasn't the wisest of choices she had ever made but on the other hand it was all too perfect because Kurosaki had never met Nnoitra therefore there was no way the orange haired youth could tie Nnoitra in with Halibel and the rest of her "siblings"

Whether Kurosaki chose "father" or Grimmjow, Halibel truthfully didn't care-she simply wished to complete the family circle.

"Remember don't hurt him too much, just—

"Shut up Halibel! I know what to do. Neliel has already stressed how oh so special this carrot top is." A nasty smirk "I promise I'll be gentle, now if you could kindly get your foul breath out of my face, I'd appreciate it."

She should just choke the asshole. Halibel knew that she should but she did not wish to cause a scene.

She just had to trust that Nnoitra would not lose control.

()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

"So what are you doing here?"

"Nels shopping."

Well of course Nel was shopping but why here? There were other supermarkets closer to the college.

"How bouts you Itsuygo? Nel wents to your dorms but you wasn't there."

"My family is out of town so I'm watching the house."

Why was he telling her this?

Now she'd just find another way to stalk him. Worse yet she'd tell her gang and before Ichigo knew it, his so called vacation away from everyone and everything would end.

He didn't want to be rude but he just wanted some space.

Even though he was spending a good chunk of the evening with Kenpachi, Ichigo wanted the rest of the night to himself.

Just relax and think about nothing.

Nel's shopping cart was overflowing with items. What the hell did she need so much damn junk food for?

()()()()()

Nnoitra)

Neliel was taking a long time. A lot longer then she said she'd take. It was pissing him off.

Nnoitra had better things to do besides scaring off some weak little carrot top.

Just what was so great about this 'Kurosaki Ichigo' anyway?

Based on the photo, there was nothing particularly outstanding or eye catching about him—except for the bright orange hair which was probably bleached.

The whole thing was fucking stupid. He came home to stir up a little trouble, bang a few tramps and call it a happy new year.

He should just drive off now. Let the stupid bitch find her own way home.

Halibel had run across the street to empty her bladder.

Not like Nnoitra gave two fucks about her either.

He should run her ass over.

Nnoitra took another glance at the picture.

He could probably crush the carrot top with one hand.

(()()()()()()()

(Grimmjow)

"Can't this car go any damn faster?" No matter how hard he pressed on the gas pedal, it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

"You're already going 20 miles over the speed limit Grimmjow, slow down before you kill us."

"I'm not gonna slow down. We have to-no I have to make sure that fucking 'I wanna star in a dentures commercial' one eyed freak doesn't get to—

"You know its mostly for show don't you? Nnoitra isn't as heartless as you thin—

"Just shut up! I'm trying to think here. Now let's see a short cut—

"Well you could always take the highway?"

"Fuck the highway! It's too noisy! I'm just gonna run all the red lights."

"That's not a short cut you idiot. That will just w—

"Who cares? Any way make yourself useful and hand me my phone would ya?"

()()()()()()()()

(Nel)

"Nels parked rights outside Itsuygo."

"I'll steer the cart, you just lead the way."

Nel had half a mind to just grab Ichi's hand and run. She didn't want to go through with the plan.

So caught up in her conflicting inner guilt was she that she failed to realize that the footsteps behind her had stopped abruptly.

And when she turned, Ichi was gone, a few apples had fallen out of the cart.

()()()()()

(Ichigo)

It wasn't the first time his head connected with a brick wall, it happened quite a few times back when he was in grade school.

Still—it didn't mean it hurt any less-actually it hurt like hell.

Ichigo could feel the blood slowly running down his forehead.

()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

Wouldn't be the first time that Nnoitra had come across someone who looked better in person than they did in pictures.

He originally planned to just make the brat nice and bloody but now?

Now he wished to play.

Make this carrot top his new pet.

Spill a little blood, smack the youth around a bit and then finish it off by spilling his seed inside and all over that lithe toned body.

It was a fun thought-he'd probably only get so far before Halibel or Neliel intervened—

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

His attacker spun him around and breathed hotly in his face.

As was his habit, Ichigo took in the guys' appearance.

Long, jet-black hair framed a pale shaped oval face. One eye covered with a patch, the other reminding Ichigo of a particularly vicious vulture. Mouth twisted into a wide and nasty grin. Long and lanky in all but the chest which was wide and muscular. Further pronounced by the high collared black turtle neck. Towering over him, making Ichigo feel even more uneasy.

One hand pinned him to the wall. He struggled pathetically.

Another hand smeared the blood on his forehead

It was almost as though the stranger considered himself to be an artist and Ichigo his canvas.

A long bright red tattooed and pierced tongue lapped at the blood on his face.

It stung and Ichigo snarled and hissed.

The dark haired stranger apparently found his reaction to be quite amusing if snicker was anything to go by.

Ichigo cursed inwardly and outwardly as the pressure on his right shoulder increased. He could not move at all.

'_How the hell can one guy possess so much strength with one arm alone?'_

The other arm left his forehead in favor of raising his shirt, exposing the upper half of his body to the cool winter air.

Well at least it was a fairly warm day in December.

**/**_**Only ya would find somethin' positive in this scenario, King/**_

_/Shut up Shirosaki!/_

His face was smacked to the side, leaving yet another bloody gash, this time on the side of his head.

Ichigo's vision swam before him.

"Fucking asshole! Get the fuck off of me! I swear the minute I—

For the briefest of moments it seemed the stranger was considering his threat-and in that brief moment his shoulder was released.

Now was his one and only chance.

Ichigo didn't fight dirty but the guy had left him no other choice.

He clawed at the strangers face, leaving a pretty large scratch right underneath the man's good eye.

He received another smack and once more found himself pressed into the wall.

It was like a bad nightmare.

_**/More like a dirty BL night drama, hope ya practiced ya lines, King./**_

_/Shut the fuck up Shirosaki!/_

Lightning fast, a flash of silver caught Ichigo's eye.

Shit!

The guy had a switchblade.

()()()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

Nnoitra wiped the small trickle of blood away from under his eye and grinned "Bad choice, pet."

()(()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

The son of a bitch was going to cut him-possibly kill—

_**/Stop acting like a fuckin' damsel and fight King!/**_

_/Easier said then done. I'm trying./_

_**/Yeah well ya ain't tryin' hard enough./**_

()()()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

"Not too bright are ya pet?" Nnoitra sneered, "I'm not going to cut your pretty little ass up. I'm just going to do this—

(()()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

What did everyone have against his clothes? At this rate he'd have none left.

_/Maybe I should just go naked like Halibel from now on/_

_**/Some how I don't think that'd help ya situation King./**_

_/I know damn it!/_

"You know pet I'm a bit disappointed. I was positive that I could make you cry a little."

_**/Ya should cry King/**_

Cry? For help? If he did that—well Ichigo might as well piss whatever masculine pride he had left out the window.

_**/So what are ya gonna-/**_

()()()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

"Let me tell you something pet," Nnoitra grabbed the bright orange hair "Yer little naïve act won't work on me because you see I've dealt with your type before."

The confused look the brat gave him just then only made Nnoitra want to torment him further.

He raked his blunt fingernails over that lithe and toned body, drawing a little blood.

"Ya look a tad bit confused, let me spell it out for you then, seeing as we're here together and all."

His licked the tiny scratches with his tongue.

"I've heard all about ya Ichi, you're a regular celebrity aren't ya? Offerin' your services to any pathetic bastard who'd glance your direction."

Using the blade once more, Nnoitra sliced at the nylon fabric of the boy's track pants, considered doing the same to the white briefs-

'Ha! white=_virgin, better than I coulda imagined.'_

But decided against it, he'd let the youth hold onto a little bit of pride.

He reached for his belt and unzipped his pants.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo was forcefully pushed on to his knees.

He winced at the sound of a zipper being pulled down.

And bit back a cry when his assaulter grabbed his hair once more.

"Here's the deal Ichi-pet, I'm gonna fuck ya mouth and you're gonna kneel just like that and take it like the bottom bitch you are!"

Ichigo knew the definition for cock and that was NO COCK. It was a thick and long monstrosity. Hell it probably had a life of its own.

Long fingers pried his mouth open…

()()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

It didn't take much.

He simply shoved himself inside, fucked the pretty mouth raw just as he had promised and then he pulled out and released all over that boyish face and body.

It was quite possibly the strongest and quickest orgasm he had ever experienced.

And that was saying something because Nnoitra was no stranger to sex.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

The eyes. Why the fucking eyes?

Shit stung like hell!

_/I will find out who this guy is and I will murder him!/_

_**/Can I come long for the ride King?/**_

_/Fuck you Shirosaki! You could've jumped out and—_

_**/Hey look at the Brightside/**_

_/What Brightside?/_

_**/Least he left ya briefs on/**_

"Itsuygo? Itsuygo where are you?"

Nel. Shit. Well this would be horribly embarrassing.

"Where do ya think you're goin pet?"

"Itsuygo?"

()()()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

The stupid bitch!

He was going to wring her neck.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

"Itsuygo?"

"Get the fuck out of here Neliel."

Ichigo blinked as he tried to pull his ripped pants up.

The guy had just called Nel, Neliel, he'd only ever heard her gang call her that.

What the fuck was going on?

"No. You've gone too far—

"Shut up you stupid whore!"

"No yous promised you wouldn'ts hurts Ichi and you did."

"I'll break your damn neck if you don't leave."

"Nels not leaving until-

"Nel, Nnoitra Stop!"

Halibel?

What the fuck was she doing here?

())()()())()()

(Halibel)

Halibel was beyond angry-she was absolutely furious-she couldn't even bare to look at Kurosaki right now.

She shrugged off her long tweed jacket it and thrust it in his direction.

"Put that on."

Without waiting for his reply, she turned to Nel and grabbed the younger woman by the arm "Get in the back seat. Don't say a word."

Then she turned to Nnoitra.

"Carry Kurosaki."

"Don't order me around Hali!"

Nnoitra's threatening tone did not faze her.

"Do it. Now!"

(Nnoitra)

He wouldn't admit it to anyone but himself but he was more than happy to carry the orange haired brat to the car.

()()()

(Halibel)

Why her?

Why did she have to have such complete idiots for companions?

()()()

While Nnoitra took his marry fucking time carrying Kurosaki back to the car Neliel's cries reached Halibel's ears once more.

Christ! Couldn't she get five minutes of peace just once?

'_Just a little longer Hali-chan, a little longer and you will have your reward—right focus! Must focus—what the hell—that little—'_

"Neliel, get back here!"

Peachy. Fucking peachy.

Now she had to chase after the younger woman.

And risk leaving Kurosaki with Nnoitra once more.

Halibel shook her head. It was stupid to get so worked up.

'_Kurosaki can handle himself. It should only take 5 minutes tops to drag Neliel's over dramatic ass back here.'_

()()()()

(Nnoitra)

Simply because he could, Nnoitra climbed in the back seat after he set the carrot top down on the other side.

Right when he was about to kick back and listen to track number 5 on his I-pod something happened…

()()()

He wasn't a fucking pillow! He wasn't a fucking resting post for the pretty little carrot punk to sleep on.

Why was Ichi (yes he supposed he should address the youth by his name at least) curling up beside him?

After what happened the youth should want to be distancing himself from Nnoitra as much as possible shouldn't he?

Absentmindedly long bony fingers started petting the fine orange strands of hair.

A single beady black eye roamed the boys' face.

Nnoitra scowled. It wasn't enough!

He ripped away his fancy patch and now he could fully appreciate Ichi's alien like beauty with both his good eye and his scarred eye.

The bloody gashes had crusted over and now he was feeling almost guilty for putting them there in the first place.

He jerked his hand and face away at lightning speed when

Halibel's voice reached his ears.

"You better not try anything else Nnoitra or so help me I will kill you in your sleep."

Simply because he knew it would piss her off even further, Nnoitra snickered nastily "Who's to say I haven't already done it."

Her eyes were hard. Her chest was heaving. He snickered even more.

"What's the matter Halibel? Jealous? Perhaps we could convince little Ichi-pet here to put on a little repeat performance for you."

She swung but he saw it coming and ducked.

Snickers turned to full on laughter when she wound up smacking her hand against the glass window.

Would bruise for sure.

He heard her mumble 'Son of a bitch' under her breath and just continued laughing.

Serves her right!

She sent him a nasty glare, slammed the car door and then stormed away.

Bitch sure had some serious bladder problems.

Nnoitra shrugged.

Not like he gave two shits.

His beady eyes grew comically wide as once again the orange haired youth curled up next to him.

WTF?

A sort of half smile broke out on to his face.

()()()()()()

(Ichigo)

Why did he suddenly feel so at ease around his attacker?

Perhaps his head had met the brick wall one too many times?

Or perhaps he was a bit of a closet masochist?

'_As if I weren't fucked up in the head enough'_

/_**Don't take it too hard King, these things happen to all destined ukes. It's just part of nature. The natural order of things'/**_

_/There is nothing natural about this! Hell there is nothing natural about me. And I mean sure I have a split personality and sure the idea of getting a little rough and wild is a nice fantasy but that was assault back there? I shouldn't be sitting here calmly, placing my head in his lap especially when it still feels like I got run over by a truck. What the fuck has happened to me? How am I going to explain this to Kenpachi? And Aizen? And hell even Grimmjow? Things are complicated enough I can't start developing these feelings for some strange sadist!/_

/**Love is a funny thing, King./**

_/Love? Damn it Shirosaki I can't-there's no w—I'm not even sure what I feel for the others yet I can't just—this is stupid. It's official I'm way past losing it, I'm gone, fucking gone, goodbye, farewell, sayonara!/_

_**/Don't be such a damn drama queen King. Ya are confused, in pain and in serious need of a little TLC. He just happens to be the closest one to ya./**_

_/But I-I mean where did he come from? Who is he? The way he was exchanging words with Nel and Halibel it almost sounded like-ahhh my head/_

_**/Stop thinkin' too much ya need ta rest/**_

/_You expect me to rest in the arms of-/_

_**/A fallen angel? At least he's straightforward./**_

/_Angel? There's nothing angelic about h—ooh that feels kind of nice./_

Shirosaki snickered and then fell silent leaving Ichigo to sort out his thoughts on his own.

()()()()

(Halibel)

Luckily Neliel hadn't gotten very far, just a block or two away from the supermarket parking lot.

It didn't take much to catch up to the younger woman and grip her by the arm.

The way Neliel's eyes glistened with tears only added to Halibel's quickly rising anger.

"Why are you doing this Hali? When is enough—ouch! I don't want to hurt Ichi anymore. Why can't we ju-ouch! Hali stop you're hurting me!"

When would the damn little baby stop acting like such a complete air- head?

"Listen to me closely because I am not in the mood to repeat myself. Kurosaki will be fine. This time tomorrow, all of this will be nothing more but a distant dream to him. We are going back to the car. You are sitting up front with me. If you even think of running again, I'll hand cuff you to the steering wheel are we clear?"

With out waiting for an answer, Halibel gripped the shorter woman by the forearm once again and dragged her down the sidewalk.

()()()()()

(Nel)

She wanted to believe that things would turn out okay.

Now that Ichi had fallen asleep and Nnoitra was too occupied with his dirty magazine to pester him, she could relax a little.

Halibel was still pissed.

At every red light the car would screech to halt and Neliel's head would hit the side of the dashboard over and over.

Course this could be avoided if she would just put on a seat belt but Neliel had bad experiences with seat belts.

Rubbing her sore noggin, Neliel broke the silence as she turned to the older woman and asked, "Where are we going Hali?"

Halibel did not take her eyes off the road as she answered, "Somewhere safe and quiet. After Kurosaki is all bandaged up, you're going to inject him with both the 'hourglass' and the 'cradle' serums."

"What? No!" Neliel cried out in horror. And then clutched her stinging cheek after Halibel slapped her.

Another red light.

Halibel turned to her and hissed out "This isn't a negotiation Neliel. Time is running out. I don't care how it happens but I will have my happy holiday."

She sounded insane.

And selfish.

And completely unlike herself.

"This is not like you Hali. I don't th—

"Shut up! I don't want to hear another word come out of your mouth." Poison green eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

Neliel swallowed hard and then turned her head away. She could no longer stand to look at her "sister".

()()()()()

(Nnoitra)

He only tuned in on the important parts of Halibel and Neliel's conversation.

The words "cradle" and "hourglass" and "serum" rang out in his head like tiny little bells.

He glanced at the orange haired youth.

The bells in his head grew louder.

For reasons that he couldn't fully understand Nnoitra suddenly felt an uneasy sort of feeling wash over him.

_("cradle") & ("hourglass") _

What the hell were these bitches up to?

And why did he care?

The carrot top made some strange purring noise in his sleep just then.

It was almost cute?

Nnoitra shook his head and scowled.

What the hell—Why did he—FUCK!

He needed to get away.

Now!

"Pull the fucking car over. I can't stand to be stuck in this fucking cramped little space with the little bitch anymore!"

It was a lie.

But damn it he didn't have—

"Are you fucking deaf Halibel? Pull the fucking car over so I can get the fuck out and breathe properly again!"

The car screeched to a halt causing the orange haired youth to fall right on top of him.

With twitchy fingers Nnoitra pushed the shorter male off of him, practically flew out of the car and then…he ran.

Ran so damn fast he wasn't even watching where he was going.

He didn't care.

He couldn't care.

'Caring is not in my vocabulary.'

Possessed. He had been possessed back there.

The little bitch had taken hold of something that had long since been dead and buried.

And Hades help him Nnoitra had felt warm, no scorching-

Those fucking cinnamon and coffee brown eyes, those long orange lashes—fuck fuck fuck!

()()()

(Halibel)

Being the oldest had both its advantages and disadvantages. Gin-oji and Nana Kaname relied and depended pretty heavily on her.

The sent her on a match making mission.

And come hell or high water she would complete the mission.

6 months earlier

"_Hali-chan do you have some free time?"_

"_I'm always available for you Gin-oji."_

"_Meet me tomorrow at noon by the fountain the park."_

_()()()()()_

"_What is this about?"_

"_I have a little mission for you and your siblings to perform. Are you up to it?"_

"_What kind of mission?"_

"_Well it's more like a gift actually, fer Aizen-sama, you owe Aizen-sama your life you know?"_

"_Yes I do."_

"_So here's what I want you to do. You know that pretty little orange Neko that Ulquioirra-chan and Starrk have been stalking lately?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Wouldn't he be the absolute most perfect addition to our lil' family."_

"_Well even I'll admit that Kurosaki is quite interesting."_

"_Interesting enough fer Aizen-sama."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I mean the pretty little orange Neko would make a perfect bride, doncha agree?"_

"_I-_

"_Why are you hesitating Hali-chan, yer weren't thinkin' of capturing the lil' neko for yerself were ya?"_

"_No it's not that its-_

"_What?"_

"_Nothing. Yes, Gin-oji I accept the mission."_

_()()()()()_

"_All set then?"_

"_Grimmjow might be a bit of a problem."_

"_Oh I wouldn't worry about him. He knows his place in this family."_

()()()

Nemu had been nice enough to let them crash at her little cabin for a few hours.

Well maybe not so much little. It was more like a three story condo out in the countryside of all places.

Kurosaki was currently napping in one of the bedrooms on the third floor.

It was almost too perfect.

This way Halibel could speak freely without having to worry about censoring herself or choosing her words carefully.

Neliel was looking as lost and pathetic as ever as she stared into her empty teacup.

"Snap out of it! We have things to discuss."

"Nels don't wants to talks."

The little brat was going into her baby mode.

Halibel would not tolerate it!

She ripped the empty cup way from the sea-green haired woman and forced her to look her in the face.

"Do you or do not care about this family Neliel?"

"Nels cares, Nels cares lots."

"Good then go up stairs and inject Kurosaki with the serums."

"What? But I thought you said-Hali no!"

Poison green eyes narrowed to thin slits "I've spoken with Gin-oji and he gave the go ahead. Now go inject Kurosaki with the serums."

()()()

(Ichigo)

Late afternoon…

_**He was dreaming again. Only this time the dream felt even more real but at the same time it was more like a bad sitcom.**_

_**Almost like he had stumbled into a different realm or something.**_

_**It wouldn't be the first time he experienced something like this.**_

_**When he was younger, some times the dreams had become reality.**_

_**Unohana-sensei had explained that when a person dreams they are often thinking about what they most desire during the waking hours.**_

_**Which was fine and dandy but the last Ichigo checked he had absolutely no desire to well…think of his stalkers and Aizen living under the same roof?**_

_**It started off normal enough.**_

_**Well sort of. Actually the beginning part was a lot closer to one of his wet dreams from the past… well with out the wetness.**_

_**Still he was quite enjoying himself all the same.**_

_**As was the one above him.**_

_**Leather. It really did do the body good.**_

_**And Grimmjow had one hell of a body.**_

'_**MINE!'**_

_**It sounded a little-or more like a lot out of character. Being possessive over someone else was not in his nature and yet—**_

'_**Bet your sweet ass I am and don't you forget it!'**_

_**Which in Grimmjow speak (at least dream!Grimmjow speak anyway) translated to: LOVE ME AND ONLY ME!**_

_**Then the scene switched. And he was sitting on the bed with Grimmjow and Nel and yet for some reason he was wearing that retarded ass Aphrodite costume.**_

_**And even though he was sitting there—he only caught part of the conversation.**_

_**Course with the way Grimmjow was fondling his ass—it wasn't like it was easy to concentrate any way…**_

_**"Well we never actually said Starrk was a father, you just kinda jumped to that conclusion on your own, Kurosaki."**_

_**The orange haired 19 teen year old furrowed his brows together "Then what the hell was the all that crap about me being a perfect mother and all that other stuff?"**_

_**"Oh that, well you see about that um gee how should I put this? Help me out here wouldya Nel?"**_

_**Don't be mad at us Itysugo." There was a pause and then her voice turned completely normal as she added "It was sort of like an initiation type of thing."**_

_**"Initiation for what?"**_

_**Ichigo watched as Grimmjow and Nel shared a look.**_

_**He found it to be extremely irritating when people talked about him while he was right there in the freakin' room! Granted their mouths weren't actually moving but still...**_

_**Suddenly there was a bang followed by a loud booming voice, sounding vaguely familiar but also entirely out of character**_

_**"Daddy's home."**_

_**And then he woke up**_

A stupid dream.

There was no way it could be true could it?

The door creaked open.

A masked figure stepped into the room.

Ichigo dimly recalled seeing this masked figure before.

That night when all of this started.

"Who are y—

"Shh! Follow me."

The hell? He was not going to follow some masked being.

Not that he could tell for sure since the figure was wearing a mask but for some reason it appeared to be amused.

And then before he could even utter 'get the fuck off me' he was tossed over a muscular shoulder and dangling up side down like a sack of potatoes.

Blood rushing to his still battered head, he eventually passed out.

But swore when he woke up he would unleash his rage that had been building, building, building—ready to wake up from its long vacation.

()()()

(Halibel)

Halibel smashed her fist against the wall. She didn't even register the pain. "Gone? What the fuck do you mean by Kurosaki is gone?"

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

Warnings: AU, OOC, AiIchi, GrimmIchi, KenIchi, NnoiIchi, OthersIchi, Other pairings, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, slightly unstable minds, bits of violence (more like rough love really-er yeah) language, humor, mpreg, cross-dressing, switching views, the occasional rabid fangirl, stalkers, plotting (or something close to it) pleasant and unpleasant things (and or people) etc, etc, etc…

A/N The title Sucks and the chapter it self isn't very long or exciting. But this is one of the newer installments. So hopefully some of you will enjoy.

As always this fic is dedicated to BonneNuit. Thank you for reminding me that is A-OKAY for our favorite berry to have more than one suitor.

Shades of Orange

Part 11

MASK

(Nnoitra)

Just moments after his little tantrum he back tracked.

Halibel was not as clever as she thought she was-it didn't take a fuckin' genius to find out where she was driving the little carrot bitch.

And with Neliel's damn blubbering his suspicions had been officially confirmed.

The two women were heading towards 'The Cabin'

One might ask how he knew this.

Well the answer was simple.

While father dearest and his darling brothers and sisters had basically written him out of their lives, Nnoitra had taken it upon himself to do the exact opposite.

He didn't keep track of things like what they would eat for breakfast or what movie they recently rented-shit like that didn't matter.

He kept track of their behavioral patterns-Halibel especially.

The blond woman had always had a bit of superiority complex and when things didn't go her way-she would do everything in her power to adjust the person/thing to her liking.

Dragging males ages 15-24 up to 'The Cabin' out to the 'countryside' and for lack of a better term brainwashing them.

She didn't do it alone. No the 'owner' of 'The Cabin', Nemu, helped her.

Ah Nemu-Halibel's not so secret girlfriend.

It was pathetic really.

Listening to them bicker and bitch about all kinds of pointless shit.

Halibel loved to play the role of the 'good woman' when in reality she was quite the opposite.

Loved to preach about a person's free will and fair ness and blah blah blah…

_'I wouldn't dream of hurting that boy'_

These were often the words that would spill from her lips right before she injected her latest victim with one of Nemu's formulas..

And as for Neliel?

The dumb little shit had no clue.

Just went along with what Hali-chan said without stopping to think and ask why.

It wasn't Neliel's fault really-she had a crack in her skull-

Nnoitra had never meant to take it that far and to this day the events were sort of foggy-

He never claimed to be the brother of the year but-

No Neliel hadn't deserved to have her skull bashed in.

Nnoitra still wasn't sure why he had picked up the hammer that day-

To chalk it up to being possessed or mentally unstable or some equally cliché excuse was fuckin dumb-

And jealousy well-?

He shook his head.

What did it matter?

He was not the type to get worked up over something that happened years ago.

And it's not like he had gotten away unscathed-

Ulquiorra had made sure of it.

Ah his second youngest sibling-poor bastard had gone into hiding once again.

Never could come to terms with human emotions.

And although Nnoitra couldn't be sure what it was that had driven Ulquiorra into hiding out once again-sitting in the café and listening with half an ear as Neliel had babbled on and on and on about what she had been doing and then catching bits and pieces of Halibel's and Neliel's conversations-he was quickly developing a theory-

Kurosaki Ichigo, it all came back to him.

Nnoitra's would be/should be pet.

He couldn't really explain what it was.

Maybe after all the years of cruising through life with out a care for consequence or another's feeling's, karma was finally coming back to him.

Hitting him in the fuckin face with her mighty swing all the while smirking in triumph as she cooed out 'Oh poor baby does it hurt?'

And yeah it did fuckin' hurt-the most annoying part was feeling at all.

Nnoitra didn't want to fuckin' feel.

He wanted to-well at the moment he just wished to jump the electric fence, break into the house and snatch Ichi-pet away but-

They already didn't like him much around these parts.

All but one-yes he would contact her.

()()()

New View

(Hiyori)

She didn't know why he of all people had called her.

Nor did she care.

She would put all of the pieces together in time.

But right now the only thing that mattered was talking to the berry.

Kensei was taking way too damn long.

What did he fall asleep at the fuckin wheel again?

_'Damn, this is why I should've just gone myself.'_

"Are you planning to pace back and fourth all night Hiyori-chan?"

Hiyori looked over at her fellow blond companion.

"I'm not pacing. I'm thinking. Now shut up and go make me some damn popcorn or something."

"No popcorn. You'll ruin your dinner."

"Stop treating me like a kid Hachi!"

"I'm sorry Hiyori-san but I promise you can have popcorn after you eat."

Hiyori glared at the rotund mustached man, kicked off her flip-flops and climbed up on top of the kitchen counter.

Searching for something to snack on.

She was sorely disappointed.

()()()()

A half hour went by and finally the sound of a key turning reached her ears.

Hiyori abandoned her game of solitaire and made her way into the next room.

A masked figure came into view, shaking off snowflakes from his silver blond head.

"About time Kensei."

"Hey! The location wasn't exactly on the map you know."

"Yeah, yeah. How's he doing? Did he wake up at all? Or did he see your face?"

"Not sure. Yeah once. And No."

One by one Hiyori's posse came into the living room and crowded around Kensei and the unconscious Ichigo.

"So this is the infamous Ichigo huh? He's a pretty little thing isn't he?"

Hiyori raised her red flip-flop and attacked her fellow blond companion.

"Back off idiot! Give the berry some space."

"Is he dead?"

"Don't be stupid. He's just unconscious."

"He reminds me of a pretty fire neko or something."

Kensei shifted the figure in his arms, "Hn. He's alright but there's no way the hair is natural though."

"It is."

"How would know?"

"Woman's intuition."

"Ha! Intuition my ass. You probably peeped in on him didn't you?"

"I'm a lady I would never spy on someone."

"Ha lady my right testicle! You're the world's biggest pervert and everyone in this room knows it, Risa-chan."

"Shut up and set him down on the couch." Hiyori snapped.

()()()

(Ichigo)

Low murmuring reached his ears.

Ichigo didn't want to open his eyes just yet.

He didn't even want to move an inch until he had a better idea of his surroundings.

Now more than ever the voice inside his head would be a welcome companion.

_**'Ya rang King.'**_

_'What's going on?'_

_**'Seems ya've been kidnapped. Imagine that.**_'

_'Way to state the obvious but why?'_

_**'Why don't ya ask your new housemates?'**_

'Housema-

Cinnamon and Coffee colored orbs slowly fluttered open.

That mask!

That masked figure!

He bolted so fast off the couch one would think he'd seen a ghost or a demon of some sort.

Now as his eyes fully adjusted to his surroundings-he found masked figures-not just one.

And cue freak out number 1,615.

Actually probably way over that but he'd long since lost count.

"Where the fuck am I? Who the hell are you people? Why are you-

"Woah, slow down Ichi-chan. We're not gonna harm you."

The first mask was removed.

A blinding bright smile and even brighter blond hair. Male.

"That's right berry-tan, we're your friends."

A female this time, voice sounded vaguely familiar.

She removed her mask and confirmed that she was in fact the overenthusiastic stylist, Mashiro

"You!"

"He's quite the energetic young man isn't he?"

A third mask was removed.

Heavy set male with pink mustache of all things.

_'And I thought I'd seen everything'_

"What is-why the did one of your goons knock me out and drag me-

"Wouldn't you rather know how we found you in the first place?"

A fourth mask was removed.

A dark skinned male with long side burns.

Ichigo thought about these words for a minute and realized that-

"Yeah actually I would like a real answer to that."

"Anon caller."

The fifth mask was removed.

It was the porn fanatic chick.

Orange brows furrowed. "Anon caller?"

"People can do that you know-see it all the time on the news. Some poor helpless woman abducted off the street only to be rescued by the tiny senile old goat down by the river. Only the old goat doesn't rescue the woman by himself, rather he contacts the nearest police station, gives them the appropriate information and with in less than 24 hours, the woman is back in the comfort of her own home safe and sound."

After these long stream of words-the 6th mask was lifted.

Ichigo could hardly be blamed for turning a little pink around the cheeks just then.

Male. Correction a good looking male. Body build was like that of a boxer or a cage fighter.

_'Hmm cage fighter sounds pretty damn interesting.'_

_**'Sure you want to go down that path King.'**_

_'I-I'm just getting a closer look at my ab-_

_**'Mm hm I know exactly what ya are doin.'**_

Silver-blond hair. Eyes, the shape alone was difficult to pinpoint. And the color-not quite light brown. The bone structure of his face wasn't so much sharp angles as it was-

He shook his head-

_'I really don't need to go down that path again.'_

Shirosaki cackled inside his head.

_**'Poor King what am I to do with ya?'**_

_'Don't start.'_

_**'Start what? Can't help it ya think t-**_

_'Shut up right now. Just shut up!'_

_**'Fine, fine we can discuss your latest crush later on.'**_

_'I'm not crushing. Gah-can't you-look we've been over this before, you can feel attraction towards someone and that's all it is it doesn't mean-_

_**'Hmm I wonder what Aizen-sama and 'Pachi will have to say about this.'**_

_'No don't even go there-_

_**'I don't have to. You do it all on ya own King.'**_

"Anyway I would've come to collect you my self but the anon caller told me that it would be wiser to send someone taller, preferably a male and so I sent Kensei (the figure gestured to Mr. silver-blond himself) and here we are."

Shortest of the group. Voice unmistakable.

It was official-Hiyori was stalking him.

"How do you-I mean first at the movies and now-are you some kind of secret spy or something? How is it you always-?"

The blonde snaggle tooth removed her mask. Stomped over to Ichigo and then quite with out warning raised her sandal and smacked him across the face.

"Idiot! You should be thanking me or else right now you'd be-

"Thanking you?" Ichigo's voice was incredulous.

Hiyori snorted. "Damn right if it weren't for me you-"

As was becoming a daily routine or whatever-Ichigo really didn't understand what the fuck was going on.

"This anon caller er what did he or she sound like?"

"Not sure, their voice was some where in between ear-grating and kinky but that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense now does it. So moving on…

"You're coming to the ski lodge with us."

_**'Well look at that King, seems like Mr. Silver-blond has taken just as much of an interest to ya as ya have to him.'**_

()()()

(Aizen)

Aizen was not a complicated man. If one wished to learn how is mind worked and why he did the things that he did all they had to do was ask.

It was merely a bonus should they decide to share their own life story.

Ah the term life story, a term used quite loosely.

He could hardly be blamed for omitting or adding bits and pieces to and from his own life story from time to time.

The closest he had come to revealing his REAL-life story had been during his afternoon with the boy.

And why? Because it had seemed rather pointless to lie to the boy.

He couldn't really put his finger on it (at least not yet) but amongst all the silly humans Kurosaki Ichigo was something else entirely.

He saw it, just a glimpse but it had been there.

It was almost a little unsettling how someone he just met could see right through him-well an important piece of him anyway.

The boy had barely lifted a finger and yet he was slowly chiseling away at his semi-frozen heart.

Yes contrary to popular opinion Aizen Sousuke was not an unfeeling bastard!

He did what was necessary.

Calling him a cheater, a liar, a master manipulator, a criminal, a heartless, twisted, evil self-proclaimed lord and a variety of other colorful insults.

It was truly amusing really.

If mother could see him now she'd be so proud of him.

Throw a banquet all in honor of his great intellect.

Oh mother how he missed her so.

_'Well it is the holiday season, perhaps I should go visit her.'_

()()()

(Kenpachi)

Jumping to the worst-case scenario was not something that he did.

Kenpachi was not a dramatic person. It just wasn't his style.

There could be several reasons as to why Ichigo currently was not a home.

The youth could be out running errands or possibly maybe stopped back in his dorm room in order to pick up something.

He could be passed out in his backyard or even in the kitchen and simply hadn't heard the doorbell.

It was still fairly early in the evening, just turning 5 minutes after 5.

Kenpachi had no reason to panic.

Not to mention that panicking was so not his style either.

If there was a slight chance that Ichigo was in trouble in some way or another-

There was a screeching noise just then.

As though a car or some sort of vehicle had just made a sharp turn or simply needed there breaks checked.

Kenpachi turned and narrowed his eyes at the 4 figures making their way up the driveway.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Disclaimers are very important. Giving credit where credit is do. I'm such a dumb ass for forgetting to do so in the last chapter. Forgive me Kubo-sensei I shall never claim the right of your genius. I own nothing, nothing, nothing!

Warnings: AU, OOC-ness, AiIchi, OthersIchi, spelling, grammar, punctuation, unstable types, jealous types, daydreaming, scattered mess that authoress is trying to pass off as a plot, switching views, etc etc etc…

A/N Been far too damn long since Shades has been updated…high past time.

For: As it has been in the beginning and will continue to be until the end, BonneNuit

Shades Of Orange

Part 12

QUESTION IS?

_As annoying as flashbacks can be sometimes they are indeed necessary…_

_(Renji)_

_When Renji woke up this morning he thought it would be a good day-the plan was simple-he was going to go harass Rukia and together they would go and visit Ichigo. Not just visit-he and the berry had a lot of catching up to do._

_The tattooed redhead was finally ready to introduce his fiancé-yes fiancé, the man he had met just a few short weeks ago had proposed and Renji had said yes._

_Renji supposed he could tell Rukia but she'd probably just make some sly comment about how she had known all along or whatever. Where as Ichigo would just congratulate him like a friend was supposed to do._

_Yes Renji had played the entire scenario out in his head many times-there was only one tiny problem-well not so much a problem as it was…_

_"So Grantz huh? Do you prefer being called Grantz-san or should we call you Szayel?"_

_"Only I can call him that."_

_In all honesty Renji had no problems with Hime but he didn't like it when she was calling his lover so informally-felt that he should be the only one since Szayel was his to have-his to hold-his to_

_"I'm more curious to know how you two met. I was under the impression that the cast of Pocky Pals was on the other side of the globe up until a few days ago."_

_"What the hell Rukia? Stop being so damn nosy! Who cares how we met? The point is that we did, now drop it!"_

_Rukia grinned, Touchy, touchy," silver-blue eyes sparkling "So tell us Szayel-san how did you get this stubborn pineapple to submit?"_

_The man's laugh was so light and airy-musical even as he answered, "Now if I told you that Rukia-san I'm afraid Ren wouldn't let me back into the bedroom," a pause "And I think we can both agree that fighting is not a good way to start off an engagement."_

_Silver-blues shot wide open in surprise at the announcement "Oh ho what's this? What's this? Renji is going to be a bride?"_

_Cue the princess squealing and then proceeding to smoother him with her over-inflated tits "Oh I'm so happy for you Renji-kun," she squeezed him tighter_

_'And to think I used to like being smothered with boobs.'_

_"A wedding, my gosh there is so much to do, so many plans to make, so many people to call." A slight frown "Why didn't you say something sooner?"_

_Renji scowled as Rukia took it upon herself to become better acquainted with his lover._

_"I've known Renji since we were in diapers you know, might even have a few pics around if you're interested."_

_Amber eyes flashed behind designer glasses "Really? And was he just as pretty then as he is now?"_

_"Bastard!" Renji wanted to snarl out-instead it came off sounding more like B-erk!"_

_Seriously Hime needed to cut back on the damn Wheaties or something because this was ridiculous._

_The buxom brunette finally let Renji go when he started turning an unhealthy shade of blue._

_Rukia was snickering_

_And his lover-his lover was completely oblivious._

_What the fuckin' hell?_

_"Screw you guys I'm just gonna go and see Ichigo by myself. You can stay here and cackle or whatever."_

_As Renji moved to leave…_

_Szayel's musical laugh erupted once more "Now, now Ren you know I hate it when you pout like that," the man started poking his face "Come on, come on give me a smile."_

_Renji wanted to kick the pepto haired male just then but settled for crossing his arms, fully planning on ignoring the trio._

_Wishing he had a simpler life._

_"So off to Kurosaki-kun's house then right?"_

()()()

At this rate Renji would be lucky if he even made it to his damn wedding.

"What the hell Rukia? I thought you said you knew how to drive?"

"I do. This is exactly how Byakuya-nii-sama drives when he's been separated from Shuhei for more than a week."

"Too much information. I do not need to know that-

"Calm down Renji-kun, Kuchiki-san won't get us killed," a pause "Here have one of my cupcakes, the secret ingredient is picklejuice."

Where the brunette had pulled out of tray of cupcakes was anyone's guess-they looked normal enough but if history was anything to go by-more accurately if the stories Ichigo had shared with Renji were anything to go by-he'd be much better off declining.

"No thanks Hime-chan."

Orihime shrugged and then offered one to Szayel "How about you Grantz-san?"

The pepto-haired man looked positively horrified. "Certainly not! I make it a rule never to eat dessert after 11:30 am."

"Oh, oh dear well-I'll give you some to take home then and you can have them with your breakfast tomorrow."

Renji shook his head and mouthed 'Say no' over and over to his lover.

Thankfully Szayel was an excellent mouth reader-among other things-

Just then the car swerved sharply around the corner, Rukia was cackling like a half crazy cat-lady and Orihime was squealing like a child in an amusement park.

"Wee!"

Renji was not amused or entertained-rather he was holding on to his lover for dear life.

"Slow down Rukia!"

Rukia continued cackling and Renji had half a mind to knock her out of the drivers seat and take control of the wheel when…

Another sharp swerve and the breaks screeched

"We're here!"

()()()

(Kenpachi)

There was a screeching noise just then.

As though a car or some sort of vehicle had just made a sharp turn or simply needed there breaks checked.

Kenpachi turned and narrowed his eyes at the 4 figures making their way up the driveway.

Suspicious but harmless for how dangerous could a pepto-prince, a tattooed pineapple, a big breasted princess and a petite raven be?

Still-as a former Captain of the Navy-it was best to use precaution with any unknown visitor.

"What do you want with Ichigo?"

Yes. Kenpachi had taken it upon himself to protect the orange haired youth's house. He wouldn't let the quartet take any further steps towards the house.

The tattooed pineapple was the one to speak up-although it probably wasn't very wise of him to charge like some sort of untamed gorilla in a zoo and point an accusatory finger at a man like Kenpachi.

"Whose askin' I've known Ichigo forever and I damn sure don't remember him mentioning an overgrown beast like you?"

()()()

(Renji)

Renji knew it was probably unwise to verbally attack a man who could probably snap him like a twig with out breaking a sweat but the hell he would stand around and-

()()()

(Kenpachi)

Deep forest eyes narrowed even more-hand still pressed into the pineapples skull-not squeezing just resting it there-Kenpachi addressed the other 3-

"Well? What do you want with Ichigo?"

It was a bit surprising that the big-breasted princess was the one to step forward-although her voice quivered a little bit her eyes were hard as she stood her ground "We are Kurosaki-kun's friends

"Best-friends." The petite raven chimed in.

"Yes best friends and not once in all the years that I've known Kurosaki-kun has he ever mentioned a-

The petite raven cut the other woman off "Calm down Inoue I know who this man is," a grin made it's way on to her face "Yes you're the other suitor aren't you?"

The princess looked confused. "What are you talking about Kuchiki-san? I thought you said-she trailed off for a moment before continuing, "Just how many suitors does Kurosaki-kun have?"

The petite raven smirked "Who cares? Aizen-sama has already staked his claim and there's no way he's suddenly going to back down jus because this third suitor (silver blues studied him) could crush him in an instant."

The princess gnawed on her bottom lip "Oh I do hope it doesn't end in bloodshed."

Kenpachi furrowed his brows-trying to piece together what the young women were saying. He did not like the idea of his berry being tied down to someone else-still he wasn't all that concerned.

Challenge-a good challenge-it was just the kind of thing a man like him lived for.

He let the tattooed pineapple go and addressed the group once more, voice a little warmer "Ichigo and I had plans to meet but he's not here," Kenpachi grinned widely at the group ( a wonderful intimidation tactic if he did say so himself) "Any idea where he might be?"

()()()

(Grimmjow)

He had terrible luck-either that or the heavens hated him. Maybe this was a sign-a sign telling him that the Kurosaki-brat really wasn't his to have-perhaps he had known all along and only tried to prolong what was already pre-destined?

For what other reason would a giant bone fly into the window of his prized vehicle, startling Grimmjow badly enough that he would lose control and go swerving off the road-no other choice but to slam on the break before the car went toppling off the mountain side-

The sound of all four tires going flat was the icing on the cake.

Grimmjow glanced over at the lazy eyed narcoleptic who didn't even seen the least bit fazed by the crash-

"Wake up!"

It was not that Grimmjow was incapable of changing all four tires by himself-certainly not-as a man and more importantly a half Canadian, he had taken it upon himself to learn all there was to know about survival and such.

"Starrk! I said wake the hell up!"

Grimmjow wasn't a fucking dumbass so he didn't go so far as to actually kick the sleeping Coyote (tempting as it might be)

Slowly slate grays opened and Starrk glanced over "I told you this would happen." The dark haired male yawned lazily "Better hope the berry was smart enough to get out of-

The sound of Grimmjow's cell phone going off drowned the rest of Starrk's sentence out-

"Yeah?"

The blue haired male could barely keep the snarl out of his tone

It was Nel.

And Grimmjow's anger only intensified when the young woman announced that she 'had Ichi for awhile and then lost him.'

"What the fuck do you mean you lost him? Put that bastard Nnoitra on the phone!"

At Starrk's questioning look, Grimmjow rolled his eyes and mouthed the words-'Kurosaki is gone'

When the Coyote was about to ask another question-Grimmjow silenced him with the swipe of his hand so he could hear the voice on the other end-

It wasn't Nnoitra but-

"What the fuck Halibel? Why are you answering? Don't tell me what to do you damn b-No I don't know where he is-been in the mountains incase you forgot what with all the damn peroxide you put in your hair-guess its frying what's left of your brain cells-oh fuck you-yeah? Yeah well don't think that just cuz you're a woman you'll get off easy cuz you won't. Like I give a fuck-what? What the fuck did you just say to me? I'll kill you for letting that shitty dentures freak touch what's mine do you hear me?-don't you dare laugh at me b-

Grimmjow couldn't stand anymore of Halibel's bullshit. He threw his cellphone out the broken window and then popped the trunk.

Starrk opened his mouth to speak-

Grimmjow let out a low growl-

"Don't fuckin' say a word-just get off your ass and help me fix this mess so I can go and beat Jiruga's face in and take back what's rightfully mine!"

()()()

(Nel)

Halibel was pacing back and fourth-cracking her knuckles and throwing crockery against the wall now and then.

Nel felt like if she had to sit and watch another minute of her 'sister's' wild behavior she'd wind up huddled in a corner again and start bawling like a little baby once more.

Now was not the time to resort to such-

"Um Hali-chan?"

The blonde turned to Nel with a hiss "What?"

"Well I was just thinking I mean there's this-I mean there's no guarantee or anything but he is pretty smart-well according to Ulquiorra anyway and-

Poison green eyes flashed, "Get to the point, Neliel."

"What if Ichi escaped? I mean um what if he left-yes what if he went back to his dorm room or-

Halibel picked up the toaster (which was thankfully unplugged) and threw it against the wall-missing Nel's head by just an inch or two.

"Don't be so fuckin' retarded Neliel? Why father even kept you around I'll never know, probably pity."

Nel had heard quite enough insults for one day. She stood up fully planning to challenge her 'sister' when the door bell rang…

()()()

(Aizen)

He'd only been on the plane for a few hours and everything had been running smoothly and then it happened…

The migraine-the migraine had returned 10 fold this time-

Hinamori was either sleeping in his master bedroom again

When Aizen had once asked the rosy-cheeked girl

_'Why do you feel the need to sleep in my bed when I am out of town'_

_Hinamori's response had been_

_'Because I want to be close to you Aizen-sama, always.'_

Really he should've asked Gin or Kaname to deadbolt the door before he set off on this trip but-

"No matter I'll just kick her out when I return."

The migraine intensified which led Aizen to reach another conclusion.

Not just one-but several of his children were up to something-mis-behaving, being naughty-

Under normal circumstances a simple speed dial and Aizen would have Ulquiorra report everything that was happening detail for detail but as it was-

His third youngest had run off yet again-to where? Aizen was not sure of yet but-

_'All in good time.'_

So that left Halibel, his eldest, she had been incredibly moody as of late according to Gin and as her father, it was Aizen's responsibility to find out what was troubling the young blonde woman.

So with this thought in mind-Aizen set his laptop down on the seat next to him, reached into the pocket of his jacket and flipped open his phone and dialed.

It went straight to voice mail.

Aizen was not the kind of man to leave some silly message. Halibel would call him back when she felt like it.

()()()

Aizen specifically had requested a private jet plane for a reason but in all honesty he was growing rather bored with the silence.

_'I should have brought Gin along or perhaps even-_

A somewhat dreamy daze came over the smirking man's aristocratic face just then-

_'The boy-Ichigo-kun. Although I still have yet to learn all that I wish to know about him, something about that energy tells me that he'd appreciate the ocean view. More so then that, true to his astrological nature, Ichigo-kun would be at home with the water. Hmm perhaps that is the final step I should take in order to win him over?'_

A pause

_'Then again Ichigo-kun mentioned that he had a strong bond with his mother. What kind of woman could have produced such a magnificent creature? I shall see for myself.'_

"We're here, sir."

"Ah thank you, Zommari."

()()()

(Ichigo)

There really wasn't a whole lot to it. Getting away from it all would probably be the best thing for him right now. All and all going away to a ski lodge sounded very appealing to Ichigo at the moment.

_'Maybe this way I'll finally be able to sort out all of my thoughts and be able to choose.'_

Hiyori and her posse seemed normal enough. The way they bickered with one another brought to mind the image of a stereotypical dysfunctional family of sorts.

"Because you're the prettiest one here, you'll be rooming with us girls Berry-tan."

Ichigo had nothing against Mashiro but really hadn't the green-haired woman ever heard of-

"The hell with that! Ichigo will be rooming with the men as it should be."

"You sure are talkative today Kensei," Risa's eyes twinkled with perverted glee "Planning to corrupt the berry are you?"

"Shut up you idiots! The berry head will have a room of his own, one where he can clear his mind and chose a lover to run away with."

"Okay seriously who are you and why the hell do you know so much about me Hiyori?"

Spy or a stalker was one thing but how was it possible that the snaggle tooth blonde seemed to know his inner secrets and private thoughts?

He could hear the all too familiar cackling of Shirosaki dancing in his head.

When Ichigo saw Hiyori reach for her flip-flop this time he knew well enough to duck but sadly for him, it only encouraged the shorter girl to start chasing him around the room.

It was so ridiculous but oddly fun too.

()()()

And as if Hiyori and her posse weren't strange enough…

"That's my traveling suitcase-what are you-cinnamon and coffee eyes narrowed "Are you-do you mean to tell me that you snuck into my room and-

"Hey! The room was abandoned so it's not like I was breaking in especially when the door was unlocked and all and besides there was nothing in there but a dusty old mattress and a mountain of plushies-which I'll have you know I almost broke my damn neck on so thanks so much for that-

"You're blaming me?"

Hiyori nodded before stuffing another rice ball in her mouth "Damn right-she poked Ichigo hard in the chest-"You do something like that again and I'll have my lawyers come after you."

"Lawyers? What the hell are you-I'm the one who should have a lawyer or perhaps a guard dog-Ichigo shuddered-I hate to guess what else you've done while I'm not around."

"Oh nothing much just rummaged through your sock drawer and your closet a few times-another poke-next time hang up your dresses instead of just leaving them in a wrinkled mess on the floor."

Ichigo was quite horrified "Y-you went into my closet?"

"Mm hmm," Risa chimed in "Gotta say I'm just a tad bit jealous, I've tried many times and I've never been able to step into 7 inch heels."

Ichigo tried to fight down the blush that was threatening to rise. Honestly couldn't the snaggle tooth and the porn chick at least wait until Kensei, Love and Hachi were out of the room?

"There's nothing to be embarrassed over berry-head if I had legs like yours I'd want to show them off too," the blonde got right in his face as she asked, "How often do you have to shave anyways? Once maybe twice a month?"

Ichigo glared at Hiyori. "That's none of your damn business."

Hiyori rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a drama queen we're all family here."

Seriously what the hell planet was this chick living on?

Mashiro moved away from the small cushion she was sitting on and made her way over to Ichigo, practically jumping in his lap and swinging her arms around his neck "Sharing is caring berry-tan. For example last night while in the shower I-

"STOP!"

Mashiro jumped and then pinched his cheeks-which only irritated Ichigo further.

In the nicest tone he could muster at the moment he asked the woman to kindly "Get off."

She complied-thankfully.

Although she was pouting now.

"Really Ichigo if you're going to become one of us you really need to wipe that damn glower off your face."

Ichigo was surprised to hear Hiyori actually call him by his name-

The blonde snorted "Don't look so shocked I could have called you Ichigo at any time, in fact I will so long as you address me as Hiyori-san."

"Sounds fair enough."

"Good." Hiyori grinned, "Now then you don't mind answering a few questions of mine do you?"

Ichigo was wary and didn't want to agree to something he would regret later but at the same time-

"Oi, oi knock it off already!"

_**'Aw aint that sweet King Mr Silver-Blond tryin to protect ya.'**_

_'Yeah so I noticed but I don't think it has anything to do with-I mean he's probably just annoyed because he doesn't like a lot of racket or something.'_

_'If that's what ya choose to believe then by all means go ahead and think it Ichi-King.'_

"Kensei is right. We've brought Ichi-tan here to educate not tease him."

He really couldn't stand the way Shinji kept grinning at him. A grin that wide just spelled trouble.

Mashiro pouted, "Oh but think of how much fun we could have, we can teach the berry-tan how to please both men and women-it would be like the ideal crash course of sex and everyone here loves sex so-

"I think it would be best if we just left the young lad alone, he's had quite an adventurous day and-

"I smell smoke."

"Oh dear the bran muffins!"

Not to come off rude but Ichigo was rather impressed when the rotund man with the pink mustache flew out of the room at an incredible speed.

"Don't look so shocked. Hachi was a track and field champion back in his prime years."

Why Kensei felt the need to tell Ichigo this?

_**'As if the guy really needs a reason to talk to you King.'**_

"Really when you say prime I mean-um just how old is-

"Boring! Come on every one hurry the hell up so we can get to the ski lodge already!"

A horn. Where the hell had that horn suddenly come from? The damn thing was larger than Hiyori's head!

()()()

A van or a trailer is what Ichigo had been expecting-he never would have guessed that Hiyori and her 'family traveled around in a-

"Tour bus?"

Hiyori muttered a curse when one of the luggage bags fell on top of her.

"Are you okay?"

"Nothing to worry your head about. Anyway you wanted to ask a question so ask?"

Ichigo frowned but went ahead and tried asking the question again "This is a tour bus isn't it?"

"Back in the day, like centuries ago Shinji, Love and this other guy named Rose were part of pop sensation, they called them selves 3SummerLove or something. Got a demo tape of their first single around here somewhere."

Hiyori started rummaging around in the suitcases and before Ichigo knew it several items were flying out of the vehicle-

After a moment or two the blonde let out a shout of "Ah ha here we go!"

()()()

_'He's good looking, yeah but I don't want him-hell I don't even know him-course if I'm going to get technical I still don't really know the others either-well I mean-it doesn't matter_

"You shouldn't frown so much at your age."

Ichigo snapped out of his inner thoughts-or make that more like-

_'Crap he must have caught me looking at him-I mean I didn't mean to but despite that silver blond color he doesn't look old-I mean even if he was-not that I care or anything but I think I'm slowly starting to realize something about myself-_

"Loosen up! Stop being so tense! I'm not going to bite you."

_**'Even he did ya wouldn't exactly protest now wouldya king?'**_

_'Shut up!'_

_**'Look Ichi-King how much longer are ya gonna let this go on for? I mean you already dropped ya pants, ya already offered your oral services, you've received service-there's really only one more step to take-so go ahead and take it!'**_

_'I'm not going to have sex with someone just because their attractive-_

_**'Fine what ever I really don't care whatcha do at this point-go fuck a moose for all I care-!'**_

_'You-what the hell? Stop being so fuckin' crude all of the time!'_

_**'Hey I'm only sayin' what ya are too chicken shit to say-a pause 'Doncha get it? This is like a test-you've been given several choices so hurry up and make a damn decision-**_

_'I already told you that I-_

_**'Then go call Kenpachi and have phone sex or somethin' don't know don't care but do somethin'-anythin' so I can finally get some GD sleep round here.'**_

_'Hey you're the one who insists on being a gate crasher inside my head every time I-_

"From this moment onwards consider me like a mentor of sorts."

Ichigo blinked. "Um what?"

Kensei looked a bit irritated "Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying for the past five minutes?"

Ichigo couldn't tell the silver blond the truth there was no freakin' way Kensei would even believe him-even if he did-

"Ichigo you're 19 right?"

"Uh yeah?"

"Good enough for me."

"Um what?"

Something cold was pressed into his hand and it took Ichigo a moment or two to realize that it was

"Drink up a lil' bit of alcohol is good for the soul."

Ichigo really had no desire to drink anything but-

()()()

"Bad things happen to boys who daydream Ichi-chan."

When the hell had grinning blond gotten so close? He could practically taste the man's breakfast-

Ichigo didn't mean to be rude but-

"Uh Hirako-san could you-

"It's Shinji," the blond came even closer-nose nearly touching Ichigo's own "Shinji."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Fine. Shinji now can you please back off a bit?"

The blond made no attempt to move only continued grinning at the orange haired youth.

Ichigo looked around for help but the only other person around at the moment was Love (and the dark skinned man with the side burns was too far entranced with the television screen watching-well Ichigo wasn't sure what the hell the man was watching but he was pretty damn sure that the human mouth wasn't meant for-

"Oi Shinji bring your happy ass back up front and leave the berry head alone."

Shinji pouted, "Why do you always want to spoil my fun Hiyori?"

"Because the berry head doesn't want some old geezer like you."

The blond looked out raged. "I am not a geezer!"

"You're going to be 39 of course you're a geezer."

To say Ichigo was surprised-"You're thirty-nine?"

The blond just winked at him before making his way back up towards the front of the bus.

Ichigo still couldn't believe it. "Thirty-nine?"

"Well 37 actually but Hiyori-chan likes to exaggerate."

"Ah he speaks." Ichigo rolled out of his borrowed bunk bed and moved down to the carpet where Love was still watching tv.

"So what are you watching anyway?"

"…"

"You don't talk much do you?"

Just when Ichigo thought the older man had gone back to ignoring him again

"You'll learn something on this trip, so pay attention Ichigo."

_'Learn what exactly?'_

()()()

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Kubo-sensei does not make errors. But I do so it's clear I do not own BLEACH!**

**A/N UKE!Berry fans unite! Right so that's not an authors note really but it needed to be said.**

**For BonneNuit…doing the BLEACH YAOI FANDOM PROUD OVER AND OVER AND NOT STOPPING!**

Warnings: AU, OOC-ness, AiIchi, OthersIchi, spelling, grammar, punctuation, unstable types, jealous types, daydreaming, scattered mess that authoress is trying to pass off as a plot, switching view, alternate endings, etc etc etc…

Shades Of Orange

Part 13

SEASONED

SIDE A

(Aizen)

Despite their differences the one thing Aizen loved about his mother was the way the woman continued to live and look just as glamorous in her late 40's as she had in her early 20's.

The only sign of her age were the small wrinkles around her lilac eyes.

"Sou-kun you're here!"

Even though the woman was fully capable of coming to him, as her only son Aizen had always felt that it was his duty to walk to her, let the woman pull him into a hug and smooth his hair down with her manicured hands.

What he did not expect however was-

"Arelia why didn't you tell me we were having company over I would've-oh my who do we have here?"

Aizen pulled away from his mother and turned to the owner of a voice he most definitely did not recognize.

She was a woman with a chin length black bob, ghostly white skin and eyes like the cold winter frost-

She was shorter than his mother by an inch or to but there was something domineering in her stance-

Aizen could understand why his mother had moved on-was actually proud of the woman for a small part of him didn't think she would ever get over the loss of her lover-it had been 3 years since his father had passed away in his sleep-but this woman?

Surely his mother couldn't be serious about-

()()()

(Ichigo)

The group didn't tell him much about the ski lodge, just that it was one of the best and that they were getting a discount because Kensei was a member of one of their clubs.

When Ichigo asked "Which club?"

"You've heard of the polar bear club haven't you berry head?"

"Isn't that one of those clubs where a group of weirdoes get together and jump into ice water in the middle of winter?"

Hiyori grinned around a mouthful of peanut butter. It was rather disgusting.

He turned his attention to Kensei and asked the silver blond

"Isn't that sort of dangerous? I mean you're kind of gambling with your health and well being aren't you?"

_**'How thoughtful of ya to care King and now if somethin' should happen to the ole' silver blond ya can nurse him back to health-surely any man would be cured in an instant if they saw your sexy ass in a-**_

_'I'm asking you nicely Shirosaki don't start.'_

()()()

Hiyori had invited herself to camp out in Ichigo's private cabin for the night. The blond had brought her sleeping bag, a bag of popcorn and even that stupid horn.

Ichigo was a little annoyed-he had been looking forward to a quiet night-a way to gather his thoughts and unwind-he also planned to send a message to Kenpachi even though Shinji had confiscated his cell phone-Risa had been kind enough to let him borrow hers for a short while.

At the very least he owed the man an explanation as to why their dinner plans had been canceled.

Not that it was entirely Ichigo's fault but-

"Knock! Knock! Room for one more?"

What the fuck?

Enter Hirako wearing curlers in his hair, a cucumber and sour cream mask on his face and a fuzzy white bathrobe with dandelion prints on it.

"2 blonds and a berry? Pretty cozy huh Ichigo?"

Cozy is not what the orange haired youth would call it.

Hiyori weighed about as much as his sisters or Rukia-but Shinji? The man might look slim but he damn sure was not light-his head alone must weigh a ton

Ichigo did not like how the older blond had suddenly decided to use his body as a head rest-did not like the way Shinji was-

"Hey watch the hands!"

The blond giggled. "What's the matter Ichi-tan? Are you ticklish?"

The loud smack of Hiyori's flip-flop meeting Shinji's cheek was almost music to Ichigo's ears.

While the man whined and complained about abusive younger sisters hurting their loving older brothers Ichigo quickly pulled the covers over his head and sent a text to Kenpachi-telling the man that he was sorry and that he would make it up to him just as soon as his trip at the ski lodge came to an end.

Ichigo damn sure hadn't expected the reply to be coming from

_**SUCH A NAUGHTY BOY YOU ARE ICHIGO. SHALL I INFORM AIZEN-SAN OF YOUR MISBEHAVIOR?**_

What the hell was Rukia doing answering Kenpachi's phone?

Just what was going on?

What had he missed?

Maybe he should forget about relaxing and-

"Ah ha! I found you!"

Just when Ichigo thought Shinji couldn't get any stranger the man started talking to him like a parent would talk to a child-what next peek a boo I see you-?

"Ichi-tan you can't hide out from you big brother for long. Come out come out or I'll come in there after you."

As though he was hiding in a tent rather than under a large blanket-

The sound of whispering reached Ichigo's ears.

Followed by Hiyori's loud blaring horn

Then with out further warning the two blonds tugged the blanket away from him and the trio went crashing to the floor.

()()()

(Aizen)

It was still a bit difficult to wrap his brain around it-mother had never shown any interest in women before. Had Aizen known he would have taken it upon him self introduce a woman or several women better suited for her social rank.

"I will make arrangements for your immediate transfer."

Most women would have graciously accepted his offer with a smile but not this woman apparently-

"Oh no I could never leave the countryside for that long for you see Sousuke, the sheep they are like my children."

If Aizen were a lesser man he would have made some snide comment just then-something along the line's about how this woman should spend some time taking care of herself-brush her hair, wash her face, purchase a decent pillow so she could erase the dark circles under her eyes-rather than worrying about animals who slept out in the barn-instead he reached for his tea cup and took a few sips.

It was passable.

Aizen turned to his mother and asked

"What can I do to get you to consider rehiring a servant or two?"

He still couldn't believe that she had released the men and women from their services to begin with-deep brown eyes flicked to sheep woman-concluding that it was surely her doing.

"Oh Sou-kun really you needn't worry so much. I am fully capable of doing a few household chores every now and then. I actually like it-the Arelia of the old was very much like a spoiled princess who could feel the pea underneath a thousand mattresses-but the Arelia of the now-I've been born a new and," lilac eyes gazed at her lover fondly "I have Fergus here to thank for it."

Fergus?

Arelia and Fergus.

That proved it.

A lesser man would shudder in both disgust and horror whereas as Aizen bit his cheek and swallowed a few more sips of the bitter tea.

He watched as his mother placed a hand on top of her lovers own. "I have found my true self."

Indeed if Aizen were the kind of man to believe in such things as extraterrestrial beings-he would have thought that they had swooped down in the middle of the night and swapped his mothers brain for another.

"But enough about me Sou-kun. You look so happy these days. I would swear that the sun itself is outshined by the light in your eyes tell me what has happened?"

Ah yes the reason for his visit.

It was not that Aizen had forgotten-it was simply-

"Well mother I'm happy you asked because your approval means a great deal to me."

The woman smiled at him. "Of course Sou-kun what kind of mother would I be if I didn't accept you?"

Aizen knew the woman would say these words and still to hear them loud and clear brought a smile to his face. "I've finally found it."

The woman blinked "Found what Sou-kun?"

"The path to true love."

()()()

(Nnoitra)

Wine

A man's best friend-well maybe not so much man's best friend as it was Nnoitra's

Sitting in a pitch dark house, drinking a bottle of red wine and feeling-not sorry for himself-this had nothing to do with a pity party rather it was-

Those damn orange lashes were still haunting him-

Nnoitra had no one to blame but himself.

If he had thought before acting the whole entire encounter could have played out differently.

He should have just told Halibel and Neliel to shove their plan where the fuckin' sun doesn't shine and then he should have approached the carrot top-the too sexy for his own damn good and Nnoitra's sanity-Ichi-pet and-

The sound of knocking on the door pulled Nnoitra out of his thoughts.

He picked up his wine bottle and stumbled to the door.

()()()

(Gin)

The kiddies were being naughty again-a most unwise thing to do while Aizen-sama was away.

So it was up to Gin and his side kick (although Tousen would probably slaughter him if the silver fox ever dared to suggest such a degrading position out loud) to keep the kiddies in line.

"Read the address off one more time Tousen-san."

"Honestly Gin if you can not remember where to go then you should have let me drive."

Let another man drive his prized vehicle? The very idea was laughable and besides-

"This is my gift from Ran-chan since she refused to stay with us at the mansion. This is her way of showing me that she still loves me."

"I was under the impression that you had moved on to the blond servant boy."

"Oh Izuru-chan doesn't mind sharing, he comes from a family of 12 brothers after all."

()()()

(Tousen)

Tousen sighed. The silver-haired male was completely missing the point.

"What did Toshiro say?"

"Hitsu-chan? Why would he care what I do with my-oh you mean his connection to Ran-chan. Hmm," a pause "I really can't say-he's rather difficult to read. Bein' in that whore house messed with his mind so much I'm not even sure he remembers who we really are half of the time."

"He must to a certain extent, he feels safe enough to continue to work and live in the mansion."

Tousen felt the need to point this out.

Gin smirked. "That's because Aizen-sama treats Hitsu-chan as though the boy were his own."

If Tousen Kaname were the kind of man to roll his eyes he would have done so just then-

"Now you are exaggerating a bit Gin, while it is true that Aizen-sama-

"Ah ha there it is!"

Tousen felt the small vein above his left brow twitch in irritation. "It is incredibly rude to cut me off while I am speaking, Gin."

"Pardon me Tousen-san I certainly didn't mean ta speak over you but you know how I can get around the holiday season-especially at the sight of Christmas trees."

"I still don't understand what the point in chopping down a tree is when we could easily purchase-

()()()

(Gin)

Gin shook his head. It was almost a tragedy that his dark skinned companion couldn't find the holiday spirit-course it wasn't really Tousen's fault but-

"There's no beauty or fun in just buying a tree. I feel sorry for you Tousen-san, going all though out your childhood and teen years and not once did ya ever get to experience the feeling of a saw between yer fingers-the smell of the great outdoors-the shine of the metal before it connects with the tree bark-the triumph of being a-

"You are still missing the point Gin. Aizen-sama expects us to keep the children in line while he is away not trapeze around town looking for an outdoor adventure."

Gin grinned. "But life is an adventure and besides I already tried ta contact Hali-chan and all she said was 'the mission will be completed and then she hung up on me."

"And what of Grimmjow?"

The clear dislike that Tousen held for the blue haired youth was just as amusing as ever in Gin's opinion

"The kitten? Ah I wouldn't worry 'bout him, he's off campin' with the wolf for a week. By the time they return Ichi-chan will be right where we want him to be."

"You are not going to harm Ichigo. Aizen-sama would never forgive you."

"Of course not. I'm just going to welcome him like any proud uncle would," a wide grin "He's family now."

"Then why the mission?"

"Because it is a favorite past time of mine."

"Which part?"

Gin could hear it in Tousen's tone-the man didn't even want to ask such a question-

"Watching Aizen-sama scold the kiddies of course."

"So they are going to take the blame and punishment for something you orchestrated?"

"Don't sound so surprised Tousen-san I told you this months ago."

"Fine. But what about the girl? Why her?"

()()()

(Ichigo)

Skiing-the rush of harsh wind beating against his face wasn't all that pleasant but the view?

The view as the sun was starting to set-shades of pink, purple and orange streaked across the sky.

Sometimes Ichigo just liked to take a few minutes to enjoy nature but unfortunately for the orange haired youth Shinji had other plans.

"Come on Ichigo race you to the bottom?"

While the weren't up on the highest mountain they were still pretty damn high up-Ichigo wasn't to thrilled about racing down a hill but he was a Kurosaki and all his life he had learned to never back down from a challenge.

Besides if something happened and he fell and hurt himself it was not like he was out in the middle of nowhere-someone would rescue him.

And while the idea of walking around in a cast for a number of weeks didn't sound very appealing the image that had suddenly sprung to mind

_Sousuke-it still felt a little strange to call the man by his first name but Ichigo figured if he could call all of his other potential lovers by their first names then why not Sousuke? Any way the image of having an aristocratic bastard (it was more of a backwards term of affection in his head now) the idea of having Sousuke wait on him hand and foot, turning the tables and having the man address him as Ichigo-sama_

_He could order the man to dress in a little butler outfit and everything-it was amusing and Ichigo had half a mind to get hurt on purpose just so he could make it happen but-_

_Another image sprung to mind-the weeks when his leg was fully healed up Sousuke would turn around and punish him-possibly maybe force Ichigo to dress up as a maid, order the orange haired youth to rub his feet (which really wasn't that big of a punishment since the man's feet were equally as pretty as his hands-_

"Come on Ichigo hurry up! I want to ask you something when we reach the bottom."

Shinji's voice pulled Ichigo from his thoughts only to bring a new image to the surface

_Unlike Sousuke-Kenpachi would probably force Ichigo to stay in bed the entire time-only letting the orange haired youth out on occasion and during those times insisting on caring Ichigo everywhere which truthfully didn't sound all that appealing unless there were a blizzard or something-_

_Kenpachi was warm-so warm that Ichigo wondered if he might have some bear in him somewhere-the idea was beyond ridiculous but amusing-_

_In all honesty he wasn't that far off-the wild haired man's hands for example-could rival a bear paw-_

_If Ichigo stayed with Kenpachi he'd never have to wear a winter coat again-hmm_

"Ichigo if you don't hurry your ass up and race me right now I'll pull your pants down!"

Ichigo scowled. He did not want the stupid grinning blond to come anywhere near his pants.

()()()

"So Hiyori tells me you've gotten yourself into quite the-how would you phrase it? It's not really a love triangle or square since all of them are attracted to you so-

"Well I mean there's only really two I can picture myself with as a long term thing-not that I'm not attracted to number 3 it's just-" Ichigo trailed off, set down his skiis and joined Shinji on the tiny rock. The blond had not only removed his skiis but half of his clothes as well.

Ichigo eyed the blond strangely-surely the man would be cold right?

"Thermal underwear."

"Huh? What? Oh! Uh right but anyway so yeah it's complicated especially with well-Hey Shinji have you ever been attracted to violent or rougher erm affection?"

Ichigo didn't even know why he was asking such a question but there was no point in taking it back now.

He waited patiently for the blond to form an answer.

"Well Ichigo let me ask you a question first-how do you know what you really want? Hiyori tells us that you've only known these men for a few weeks."

No matter how much the orange haired youth wracked his brain he could not figure out how the blonde snaggle tooth knew so much about him-nor did he really appreciate her sharing his life story with-

"It shouldn't take you that long to answer the question, Ichigo."

"Sorry I just I feel really confused lately. How the hell can Hiyori and you for that matter-how do you guys know all this personal stuff about me?"

Shinji was grinning again "Well it's not exactly rocket science Ichi-tan, you're kinda like an open book and plus you kind of remind me of myself when I was your age."

A raised brow "In what way?"

"Oh many ways, mainly your indecisive nature about things."

"Well it's not like I do it on purpose." Ichigo took a defensive stance crossing his arms and glaring at the blond.

"Didn't say that you did Ichigo," Shinji paused so he could remove his socks and plant his feet in the snow. "The question you really want to ask yourself here Ichigo is not whether or not you can see yourself living with that special person but if you can see death with that person."

"Um what?"

"Hear me out-as a man nearing forty I know what I'm talking about. Looks don't last for ever and sadly, neither does sex."

"Er right."

"Can you picture yourself turning old and gray with that special person? Can you see yourself sitting at the edge of their death bed?"

"Woah, woah back up a bit Hirako, it's not like Aizen and Kenpachi are old geezers or something-

"That's not the point Ichigo."

"What is the point then?"

And so the older blond began his tale

"I was 16 when I found the love of my life."

"I'm 19."

"Stop being rude Ichigo. Just listen to my story."

"Fine."

Shinji tossed his head back and laughed. "My oh my what a pout, wish I had a camera because-

"Get back to the story, Hirako." Ichigo's voice was a near hiss.

It only amused the blond further much to the orange haired youth's annoyance.

"I'm glad Hiyori brought you to us."

"Hirako if you don't shut up and get on with it I swear to call I'll throw your old wrinkly ass off this cliff."

Ichigo wouldn't really do such a thing but he had to say something so that the blond would start taking him seriously.

"It's Shinji, not Hirako, Shinji," another blinding grin, "Consider me to be like your mentor or a seasoned and dashingly handsome older brother."

Ichigo rolled his eyed. "Fine oh great wise brother o' mine tell me the story."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Hell yeah they are finally making a BLEACH videogame for PS3…bout bloody time. I do not own Ichigo and Co because my name is not Kubo-sensei.**

**Written and dedicated to: BonneNuit, I miss you these days.**

**Warnings: AU, OOC-ness, plot holes, AiIchi, othersIchi and everything but m-fing kitchen sink that you can find in SLY's wirtings.**

Shades Of Orange

_**Part 14**_

_**Things That Children Do and Say**_

(Ichigo)

Last time…

_Ichigo rolled his eyed. "Fine oh great wise brother o' mine tell me the story."_

_()()_

Now…

"I was 16 years old when I fell in love. I don't use that term loosely and neither should you Ichigo."

Ichigo was really sick and tiered of being lectured by everyone. And who the hell said anything about love.

"I don't love anyone except for my family."

An image of a grinning goat came to mind just then.

'_Well most of the time.'_

"Good. Now then on with the story…

()

"_Like most 16 year old boys there was really only one thing I cared about back then: Being independent. So when the opportunity to become a part of exchange student program came along I was the first one to jump on that ship._

_The thing that separated this particular program from all others was that they would not tell us what our destination would be."  
_

"Where did you end up?"

"_You know til this day I'm still not sure but with all the ancient artifacts and sand I'm guessing Egypt or somewhere close to Egypt."_

"And that's where you met her-the love of your life?"

"_Yes. Although Sakanade didn't want to have anything to do with me at first since she was far more interested in her studies. It was her dream to succeed where all other women had failed in a world dominated by men._

_You would not know it at first glance-cherry red locks, eyes like black pearls found at the bottom of the sea, face resembled a cherub, innocent and a bit naïve, she worked her child-like looks to her advantage._

_There was no tomb she would not wander into, no mountain she would not climb, no desert she would not cross and she would never take no for an answer._

_I was charmed almost instantly but she didn't even notice me up until the sand storm."_

"Sand storm?"

"_You'd think we would have been prepared especially since we basically lived in sand but one can never truly prepare themselves against nature's harsh winds."_

"So let me guess some uber dramatic cliché accident occurred and the two of you were buried underneath mountains of sand with no way out. On the verge of dying, she lowered all of her defenses, fell into your arms and wept."

Shinji's face turned completely serious for a few minutes before that stupid grin resurfaced on his face.

Ichigo scowled when the blond ruffled his hair.

"You've been reading too many novels Ichigo, way too many."

Ichigo smoothed his hair back into place (well as well as one could smooth unruly orange spiky locks that is) and crossed his arms.

Which only made Shinji grin wider.

And this only irritated Ichigo further. If the stupid blond didn't get on with his damn story the orange haired youth would get back on his skiis and leave.

"…"

Ichigo filled in the blanks. "Fine. So she still couldn't stand the sight of you. And in reality it was you who broke down and started bawling like a baby. She took pity and wrapped you in her arms as she tried to think of a way out."

"Give me some credit I'm a man!"

Ichigo snorted. "Then hurry up and tell it."

"She asked me if she could borrow my straw."

Ichigo blinked. "Beg pardon?"

Did Shinji really expect him to believe-?

"You'd be surprised how useful smaller items can be from time to time."

"Right," a raised brow "So she what then? Dug her way out of the sand."

"Not even close. She started drawing designs in the sand-it took me awhile to figure out what we were playing but eventually it dawned on me," completely unnecessary pause-We played pictionary-desert style."

"Let me see if I get this straight. You were running out of oxygen, probably counting down the last minutes on earth and instead of thinking of a way out you played childish games?"

"Who said anything about running out of oxygen. Silly Ichigo, don't you know anything?"

"You said you were trapped didn't you?"

"Yes we were-

"Then-

"There was no need to panic. I knew we would be rescued eventually."

"How could you know?"

"Because I was born under a lucky sign," a wider grin "And so was she."

Lucky signs? And Ichigo thought the man couldn't get any more ridiculous.

"I see so what does your love life have to do with me and the choice I have to eventually make?"

"Take a moment and think about it."

()()()

**44 hours earlier…**

(Ulquiorra)

Ulquiorra was not a religious person but he was all out of options at this point.

And so he found himself going to confessional at the very same Catholic church he used to attend when he was a young boy and his mother (the shameless hussy) that she had been would go there to hit on the choirboys.

But he wasn't here to think about his late mother-rarely thought of the woman these days.

No Ulquiorra had come here for one reason and one reason only.

()()

"Forgive me father for I have sinned it has been well over 255 days since my last confession."

"…"

"Are you listening father?"

"I am, my child go ahead and speak."

"I've been having these thoughts-impure thoughts about another man's bride and-

"Yes?"

"The man is no ordinary man but the very same man who has been my guardian for as far back as I can remember."

()()

(Hinamori)

She was going to show them-show them all that they should have listened to her when she spoke. They would quickly learn not to ignore her-learn to never whisper behind her back when they thought she wasn't listening.

The group of scum who dared to call her they're sibling-who dared to call _her _Aizen-sama their father.

Thought they could waltz in and out of the mansion whenever they felt like it-never once inviting her to come along. Never once asking her if she'd like anything.

It was difficult for Hinamori-hard to say which one she hated the most.

The seagreen-haired retard with watermelons for tits, the self proclaimed golden child who tried to slice her own throat at age 13 and now insisted on going around with that hideous scarf 24/7/ The half Canadian asshole who growled in his sleep and never showed a single ounce of respect towards Aizen-sama. The emotionally-challenged emo freak who wore more eye shadow than a damn drag queen, the narcoleptic idiot who still was afraid of the dark at 22 years of age.

The two outcasts. One who needed some serious dental surgery and the other who-well truthfully she only met Lilinette once but she hated her because-well just because.

Last but certainly not least-the newest addition to their sickening circle.

That stupid strawberry slut who actually thought he would worm his way into Aizen-sama's bed-into Aizen-sama's heart-the stupid WHORE! Oh yes it was decided Ichi whatever his last name was had to go-he was on the top of Hinamori Momo's shit list.

()()

It was at times like these when the young school girl really did just love herself.

Hinamori loved how she had that moron Urahara and that feline-addict Yoruichi wrapped around her perfectly polished finger.

()()

She stepped out into the grand living room where the duo sat waiting for her.

Genuine smile perfectly in place, practiced curtsey. "Afternoon Kisuke-san, Yoruichi-san."

"Hina-chan it's so good to finally get to see you. Come sit down and chat with us."

The blond patted the empty spot next to him. "Sit, sit tell us what you've been up to. And while we're at what would you like uncle Kisuke to bring you for Christmas huh?"

"Ah well you see I-there's not much I would want for Christmas except-she trailed off, eyes falling to the carpeted floor, blinking repeatedly, creating false tears before looking back up at the duo "Oh Kisuke-san, Yoruichi-san it's horrible f-father he's-here she sniffled-

"He's what Hina-chan?"

Hinamori grinned inwardly at the slight hint of hysteria in Yoruichi's voice.

"He's been seduced by the she-devil-but he doesn't know it because she is posing as a naïve college boy but-but I saw her eyes-she must-we must DESTROY HER!"

As if on cue the woman with mocha colored skin reached for Hinamori, pulling the young girl into her arms, smoothing down her hair, trying to calm her down. "There, there Hina-chan I'm sure it was just a nightmare-your father i-

"NO!" Hinamori screamed and the shook her head violently "I'm telling you it's not-the man who left late last night was not my father-my father would never whistle and dance down the hall way-more sniffling "He would nev-

"Calm down Hina-chan I'm sure it's all a big misund-

"NO!" Hinamori stomped her foot and let the water works really out this time "She-He I mean He said he'd kill me if I didn't kill myself first."

"Who said?"

"Aiz-I mean the she devil."

Hinamori's façade nearly cracked when she saw the way the duo were no doubt twisting her words. She had planned it that way.

"It's not his fault. Father doesn't know-I mean the she-devil has poisoned father's mind-he doesn't know what he's doing and I-

'_Forgive me Aizen-sama but this is the only way I can ensure that I'll have you all too myself.'_

Hinamori pushed up the sleeve on her blouse to show her two temporary house guests the large red welt on her arm "His eyes-and even his voice-please don't be angry Aizen-sama would never intentionally hurt me."

()()

**BACK TO THE PRESENT**

**(Aizen is still visiting his mother)**

(Aizen)

The small group of three of had moved their conversation from the garden and into the living room.

It seemed that Fergus hadn't completely changed his mother's way of living when a petite blonde walked into the room carrying a fresh pot of tea and scones.

"Thank you Vika, now come sit down I want you to meet Arelia's son, Sousuke. Sousuke this is my daughter Vika, she's visiting me for the holidays."

OR NOT!

The young girl scrunched up her nose and then turned to her mother. "Are you sure? He doesn't look anything like her."

'_That's calling the kettle black,'_ thought Aizen _'The little wretch doesn't look at all like her mother. At least I have my mother's nose, can she say the same?'_

Fergus glared at her daughter before turning to Aizen. "Forgive her Sousuke, Vika has lived with her father for the past 11 years and I have yet to properly reeducate her."

Vika scrunched up her nose again. "I chose to visit you, not the other way around, bitch!."

Ridiculous. What did his mother see in these-these people? Aizen looked over at the woman who had brought him into this world, noting that the fond smile remained on her face.

"They're always like this. Come Sou-kun let us continue our conversation up stairs, you can help me fold the bed sheets."

()()

"Tell me more about this Ichigo. Where did you meet? Does she have a large family? How ol-

"19 years old and we didn't meet under usual circumstances, he was running late and I offered him a ride. And as for his family I-

Lilac eyes grew wide and Arelia cut him off "You're in love with a male hooker Sou-kun?"

"No mother Ichigo-kun is not a street hooker he was accompanying his female companions to a fashion show."

"Oh a fashion show, so he's a famous celebrity then?"

Aizen felt like rolling his eyes. It seems the sheep woman's stupidity had also rubbed off on his mother.

"No Ichigo-kun is not a celebrity although he has the potential to be one if he should choose to take that particular route."

'_And I would see to it that he would rise to the top and stay there. My modern day Strawberry Queen.'_

"Now Sou-kun you should know better than to lie to your mother. Be it a hooker or an actor love is love and I would never deny you of your happiness. One can not help who they fall for. Why just look at Fergus-her ex husband used to be a racecar driver up until he fractured his collarbone and was forced to retire early. Nowadays he builds model trains and cars so you see-

No Aizen did not see. And he really didn't appreciate the way his mother was comparing a lovely gem like Ichigo to a sloppy thorn like Fergus.

"Ichigo-kun is-he is quite unlike any other I have ever come across. I feel myself actually wanting to be honest with him in every way-

"You should be honest with everyone Sousuke."

The woman wasn't getting it. It was incredibly annoying.

"It's more than that. The boy-it is almost as though he can see far beyond what others can. Things like kind gestures and flattery doesn't work on him, partially because I don't think he knows how to except a compliment but also-

"Enough Sou-kun. There is nothing to figure out. This Ichigo-kun is your perfect match-hurry up and make it official."

There was a certain twinkle in her eye.

()()

(Toshiro)

Working for a man like Aizen Sousuke only had one true perk-it gave him the chance to be close to the man's daughter Hinamori.

Hinamori was a troubled 16 year old. She had a short temper and a nasty habit of manipulating others-playing them for fools.

She was the grand puppeteer and everyone over 20 would quickly fall for her 'I'm just an innocent school girl' act.

He had seen her do it more than once.

Playing the victim was Hinamori's favorite past time.

Quite a few times Hitsugaya Toshiro considered exposing the girl for what she really was-A LIAR but he could never bring himself to harm the rosy cheeked girl because in the end it wasn't really Hinamori's fault.

He had seen her medical records-unfortunately insanity ran through her bloodline.

At first Toshiro blamed Aizen-if the man had cared for his daughter properly perhaps she could have turned out normal.

But then he had seen her birth records and discovered that the man really wasn't her father.

Not entirely uncommon. Especially during these times.

Toshiro himself didn't know much about his own back round or if he had any relatives.

Sometimes he would dream of a taller male with eyes so very much like his own-and thought maybe the guy might be his older brother but he wasn't sure.

The majority of his life was a blur-only scrambled bits and pieces-

Things of no real concern to him-things he was better off not even thinking about.

There was a tap on the window.

It was Hinamori.

She had an all too familiar look in her eye-the look that meant she was planning something.

Beaming at him and addressing him in that silly nickname

"Shiro-chan since father is out of town and won't be back for a few days I was thinking you and I should go on a little adventure."

Above everything else Toshiro was a chauffer "I'll take you where ever you would like to go so long as it's with in reason, Hinamori."

Brown eyes narrowed "What did I tell you about calling me by that vile name?"

Toshiro forced him self not to snap at the girl-it was not her fault she associated her last name to be something bad. "Where would you like to go Momo?"

"Oh nowhere special just a certain ski lodge up in Viso."

()()

**(Ulquiorra)**

Neliel was still a child so Ulquiorra couldn't really blame her for asking him so many questions when he showed up at the 'Cabin' door with out calling first.

Bottle green eyes narrowed when they took in her puffy and reddened eyes-she had been crying again.

It was so wrong. She looked better when she was laughing.

As her brother he would do his best to cheer her up but first things first…

"Get your coat Neliel, we will talk while we walk."

When Halibel moved to protest Ulquiorra silenced the blonde with a swipe of his hand.

He did not care if she was older than him-he had neither the time nor the patience for her stupid power trips.

"Neliel go and get your coat." He softened his voice a little-trying to make the sea-green haired woman understand that it was not her he was angry with.

Halibel knew better. Grimmjow knew better. But they simply did not care. They were ungrateful brats trapped in the bodies of a young man and woman.

They would soon learn their place. This was Ulquiorra's long time vow.

He had fallen off track for a short while-got wrapped up in things-or rather a certain person he had no business getting wrapped up in.

But that time had come and gone.

And now it was time to refocus him self.

He had one purpose and one purpose only.

To ensure the absolute happiness of the man who had raised him as though he were his own.

It was quite simple.

Aizen-sama would have a happy holiday or heads would roll.

()()()

(Ichigo)

"So basically what you're telling me is so long as I am with someone there is no reason to panic because at least I won't have to worry about dying alone?"

"Now you're getting it!" Shinji began putting his clothes back on-we've been out here long enough I think it's time to head back and warm up."

Ichigo did admit sitting in front of the fireplace drinking a hot cup of java sounded pretty damn ideal right about now.

()()()

But it wasn't the main lodge Shinji had been referring to but a private hot tub, which was about the size of Ichigo's living room back home.

Hiyori and her posse looked all too happy to see him.

"Bout time you showed up-hurry up and strip berry face!"

Well sort of.

Ichigo didn't feel like discussing anything but the pigtailed girl didn't seem to care what the orange haired youth wanted. With a snap of her fingers a naked Mashiro and an equally naked Risa jumped out of the hot tub and advanced on him.

Ichigo was not nor would he ever be interested in looking at the female body so he averted his gaze and willed himself not to blush like the virgin everyone knew he was.

As if the fates decided to further entertain them selves by adding to his humiliation Kensei's gaze locked with his own just then.

Although the silver-blond was wearing a poker face Ichigo felt his face grow warm.

Hearing the inner voice inside his head cackle just then damn sure didn't help.

"You really are too pretty for your own good berry-tan."

"I think next Halloween I shall dress you up as my little dolly-put ribbons in your hair and everything."

"And Mashi, Mashi will be there to snap the pictures."

Seriously how old were these two again? Ichigo looked to either Kensei (who still hadn't changed his face) or Love who still continued to bury his nose in his comic book, not caring that it might get wet-hoping one of them would take pity on him and convince the shameless women to leave him alone.

No such luck.

Strength coming from deep down (could only be channeled when a poor unsuspecting male such as himself was about to be mauled by banshees aka the female population) Ichigo managed to break away form the duo, forgetting the fact that he was now just as naked as his companions and stepped into the hot tub.

Making sure to distance him self as much as possible from the rest of the group.

He let out a relieved sigh when neither Hiyori nor her posse made any further move to crowd his limited personal space. 

"I'll let you off for now but later on you and I are chatting."

"Yeah, yeah."

For fuck sake why was every single woman in his life so damn pushy.

No wonder he was gay.

()()()

**/ DREAM /**

_**Surely by now Ichigo would be able to make sense of his dreams and maybe he could if they didn't become weirder and weirder each time around.**_

_**He found himself wandering down a long hallway with freshly polished floors and glistening white doors. The soft sound of violins could be heard from beyond the main doors, which he now found himself standing in front of.**_

_**The music was beautiful-the one playing-calling out to him. Why deny a musician his/her audience?**_

_**()()**_

_**Ichigo pushed the grand doors open and stepped inside-**_

_**Of all the things he might expect Kenpachi being the one responsible for the lovely sounds was not one of them.**_

_**The man seemed so entirely focused on his the music he was playing.**_

_**Ichigo was sure he had his mouth open-no doubt gaping like a fish and blinking repetitively but he couldn't help it-Kenpachi the violinist? What were the odds?**_

_**In the back of his mind Ichigo knew he was making a rather unfair judgment-just because the wild haired man didn't slick back his hair or where stuffy tailored suits did not make him a complete barbarian.**_

_**Everyone had a softer side. Even Kenpachi.**_

_**Still it was difficult for Ichigo to wrap his mind around.**_

_**()**_

_**The man beckoned the berry to come and sit with him.**_

_**Naturally Ichigo couldn't protest-still he felt confused -**_

_**()()**_

_**Kenpachi set his violin down to the side and surprised Ichigo once again when he began singing. It wasn't unpleasant, just strange and totally and completely out of character.**_

_**Then the man leaned over and kissed him.**_

_**Ichigo expected the Kenpachi he was more familiar with to resurface just then-was certain the man would start biting at his skin and ripping off his clothes-a part of him even wanted it-**_

_**But no the kiss was smooth and gentle-the only hint that the Kenpachi Ichigo knew and might one day come to love was there was when the man squeezed his ass-but even that seemed less aggressive then the berry was accustomed to.**_

_**Not that it was unpleasant. Not by a long shot.**_

_**But different. Sometimes different is good.**_

_**Still why here? Why now? **_

**VROOM VROOM**

_**As if things couldn't get any weirder-**_

_**The purr of an engine-no not a purr-a roaring engine-**_

_**Coming from right behind the doors that he stepped through just a few short minutes ago.**_

**VROOM VROOM**

_**The sounds continued-growing louder and louder-**_

_**It shouldn't have been but Ichigo was having a bit of a difficult time concentrating on kissing the tamed beast at the moment.**_

_**()**_

_**And now something else was demanding his attention-**_

_**No someone else-**_

_**When the doors flew open Ichigo's mouth dropped for the second time.**_

_**He certainly hadn't been expecting to see Aizen waltz in just then-**_

_**Well actually the man wasn't waltzing at all-he wasn't even on foot.**_

_**No he was the one behind the Harley?**_

_**Ichigo blinked. **_

_**What the fuck was going on?**_

_**Had Aizen-no Sousuke-no Aizen-whatever had the aristocrat and Kenpachi switched places?**_

_**Hair flying in his face-shirt un-tucked, sleeves on his leather jacket ripped off, fingerless gloves-**_

_**It was bizarre in every sense of the word.**_

_**Aizen didn't own a motorcycle.**_

_**Didn't own leather-hell if the man did own leather Ichigo was sure he would have seen it during that afternoon they had spent together.**_

_**Okay so possibly maybe Aizen-er Sousuke-whatever owned leather gloves (real genuine Italian leather) in order to keep his hands from getting blistered in the harsh wind-or maybe a leather recliner in his main office.**_

_**But actually wearing leather?**_

_**It was highly unlikely.**_

_**()**_

_**The scene became even more ridiculous and unlikely when the brunet got off his bike and started laughing like some mad villain out of one of those cheesy and cliché movies about superheroes as he made his way towards Ichigo.**_

_**The icing on the cake-Kenpachi started shaking beside Ichigo-not with burning rage or barely controlled blood lust like Ichigo would have expected-**_

_**No the man looked scared-scared because of Aizen?**_

_**Wow how much more backwards and disturbing could his dreams get.**_

'_**Think happy thoughts King and ya will be right where you want ta be.'**_

'_**Right now I'd like to get back to the land of reality but thanks all the same.'**_

_**Shirosaki just cackled and the dream shifted.**_

_**()()**_

_**Ichigo awakens to find himself in a bed-something about this bed seems familiar-he doesn't think on it too much for the scent of charcoal reaches his nose.**_

_**As if in a trance of some sort the orange haired youth leaves the bed and goes down stairs.**_

_**()()**_

_**He is being lead into the backyard-the scene is far more normal than the last.**_

_**Back turned, spatula in hand, white and black apron tied around his waist. **_

_**Spiky black hair held back by a bandana.**_

_**It is Kenpachi. At least this is the man Ichigo is used to seeing unlike that-he rather not think-much rather enjoy the more realistic Kenpachi whose back is still turned.**_

"_**Stop hovering in the door way and bring your ass here Ichigo."**_

_**Ah the fine guttural grunt is TRUE music to Ichigo's ears.**_

_**Because this is dreamland he feels no need to protest against the command-here is free to act like a total uber uke without shame.**_

_**()()**_

_**TBC**_


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: After awhile disclaimers can get so repetitive just like after awhile stories can grow stale. Such is not the case with Kubo-sensei's creation however and it's a jolly good thing that I am not him!_

A/N Suppose I have no one but myself to blame I should have warned all of you from the start I write berry pairings MY WAY-_**THE SLY WAY!**_

BonneNuit: May this put a little joy back in your gloomy hours.

Warnings: AU, OOC, Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, switching views, plot holes, etc etc etc etc etc…

AizenxIchigo, OtherIchi, others 

**Shades of Orange **

Part 15

I dream of winning a berry…lalalalala

(Ichigo)

To be rudely ripped away from his dreams had never been a pleasant thing for Ichigo.

A blonde snaggle tooth girl hovering just above him, looking a little too innocent to be taken seriously, it was down right petrifying.

Growing quite tiered of jumping at shadows and making a complete ass out of himself, Ichigo simply settled for glaring. "Hiyori what are you doing?"

The girl actually had the decency to blush and remove herself from him.

Ichigo sat up "How long have I been-?"

He didn't get to finish his question as a familiar feeling of pain blossomed n the side of his head.

"Are you really that freakin' stupid Ichigo or do you secretly have a damn death wish?"

Hiyori raised her sandal as if to strike again and the orange haired youth decided that it would be in his best interest to answer quickly.

But truthfully he didn't even know why the hell the blonde was griping at him in the first place.

Since when was falling asleep a crime?

"Ichigo did swallowin' all that damn water make you deaf as well? I asked you a question!"

Ichigo studied the blonde shrimp in the little red bikini-Hiyori reminded him of a younger sister only Karin and Yuzu had never had such incredibly foul mouths.

"Hiyori are you sure you're really nineteen?"

Hazel eyes narrowed to thin slits. A dark and angry aura suddenly coming off the blonde in waves.

Hiyori gnashed her teeth together and smacked the heel of her sandal against the palm of her hand. "What did you say?"

Slowly, ever so slowly Ichigo made his way to his feet and backed away from the dangerous blonde-a bit curious and uber relieved-to learn that somewhere between his nap and being rescued Hiyori or one of her 'family members' had been kind enough to give him back his boxers.

He shuddered sincerely hoping that who ever had dressed him didn't cop a feel or two-he wouldn't put it past them-especially Risa, Mashiro and Shinji, uber perverts those three were.

'_**Ah but what if it was Silver Blond Man himself, that wouldn't be so bad now would it King?'**_

'_Shirosaki, not now.'_

A snort and then silence.

It was happening a lot more quickly now.

Ichigo wondered if it had something to do with the water-it seemed normal enough but-

A shadow looking very much like a sandal caught his gaze-Ichigo had suffered enough blows to the head and did not wish for an unending encore-he'd be damned if it he let Hiyori strike him again!

Ichigo grabbed the arm right before it connected with his face and loosened the sandal from Hiyori's hold, smirking in triumph when the blonde frowned at the loss of her favorite weapon.

"Hiyori before always resorting to violence right off the bat why don't you tell me why you're so pissed in the first place?"

One sandal gone did not stop the blond from stomping her feet "You fell asleep-no you practically drowned in the damn hot tub just now and if I didn't pull you out who kno-

"You pulled me out?" Ichigo's voice was incredulous

"Of course I did you idiot! Everyone else went to bed the moment you started making those noises."

Ichigo's face flushed and he was suddenly quite grateful that it was nighttime.

When the blonde said nothing about his lack of his response Ichigo decided to ask another question "What time is it anyway?"

Hiyori jumped (unsuccessfully) for her sandal and snarled out "It's time for you to stop being an ass and follow me!"

()()

(Kenpachi)

The little raven woman had taken his phone.

She promised that she would give it back-promised that she wouldn't break it-promised that she wouldn't wrack up his bill-told him that he would thank her when it was over.

At this moment in time Kenpachi was reminded of why he didn't usually care much for young people.

"You haven't touched your tea Kenpachi-san, is it not to your liking?"

And then there was the overly polite (sickening really) princess.

What did the woman not understand about a simple cup of coffee, no cream or sugar added?

Or hell even a glass of ice water would suffice.

Beer or a bottle of rum would be even better but there was no sense in drinking around minors.

"Are you by any chance related to one of the original Titans?"

Coming in third place, the moronic redhead who continued to ask asinine questions.

Kenpachi just couldn't wrap his head around it.

How the hell could Ichigo stand to be around these college kids?

Never mind that the orange haired youth himself was a college kid.

'_**Nah Ichigo is different-he's not like these,' a snort 'Babies.'**_

Kenpachi let out a sigh and downed the cup of tea at last-almost immediately regretting it the moment the unnatural flavor hit his tongue.

He wished Yachiru were here but she wouldn't be dropping into town until late tomorrow night.

'_**Ah yes tomorrow night-maybe Ichigo will be back by then.'**_

Kenpachi still had a hard time believing that the youth would just blow him off without explanation-it didn't seem like Ichigo's style.

Something else must have happened.

The moment the thought entered his mind Kenpachi felt like slapping himself

'_**What the hell has gotten into me lately? Worrying over Ichigo as if I were his damn mother or house keeper or something,' a grunt 'Ichigo can handle himself.'**_

"Oi woman pour me another!"

"AH HA!" the redheaded gorilla in training jumped out of his chair and pointed his finger at him (if he wasn't careful Kenpachi might bite it off next time!) "I've got it now, you're a descendant of Conan the Barbarian right?"

He could crush the redhead's skull like a melon-it would be all too easy but he didn't think Ichigo would appreciate having to mop up his friends brains so he left the fool alone.

Grabbed his cup and slammed it on the table

"Woman didn't you hear me I said I want another!"

The princess jumped and squeaked and quickly poured another cup.

Kenpachi laughed.

He still wished Ichigo were here but for the moment being surrounded by Ichigo's friends wasn't too horrible.

Hell it was a step up from hanging around with his annoying ex wife.

"Could you please not shout Zaraki-san, some of us are trying to catch up on out beauty sleep."

Kenpachi didn't quite know what to make the male with pepto hair "Leave the beauty sleep to the women and grow a pair, you twink!"

Predictably the pepto-prince looked positively outraged at these words.

Kenpachi laughed even harder.

()()

(Grimmjow)

There was always something extremely satisfying about letting his aggression out on another living, breathing hot-blooded male and really in Grimmjow's opinion-there was no better target than Nnoitra.

The only thing that would have made this moment even more satisfying would be the loud crunch of the bastards nose or jaw breaking, the delicious tang of crimson in the air as he split his knuckles wide open on one of the black-haired male's dentures.

And then the ultimate reward-the truest and sweetest victory-with out being pressured or coaxed-Kurosaki-his once in a lifetime orange berry would grip the back of his hair and pull him down into a fierce demanding kiss!

But Athena and her sparkly unicorns, as Grimmjow had long ago concluded, didn't give two flying figs about what would make him happy.

So he settled for watching the shitty spindly bastard stumble backwards into the coffee table-finding it almost hilarious that not a single drop of wine had been spilled in the process.

With a snort Grimmjow stepped around the now unconscious Nnoitra and decided to help himself to whatever was chilling in the refrigerator.

He'd worked up quite an appetite and it was time to refuel.

()()

(Aizen)

Sleep, it seemed, was out of the question.

After tossing and turning for a good half hour or more Aizen threw off his covers and sat up.

Maybe it was because he was back in his childhood bedroom-a bedroom he had always hated because he believed it was housed by an angry spirit-maybe it was because once again his head was throbbing-his children misbehaving-or maybe it was because his thoughts were running rapid-his brain refused to shut up.

Now that he had admitted his feelings to someone else other than himself, Aizen no longer wished to just sit by and wait to see how things would play out.

He no longer wished to create some sort of schedule or calendar-a series of scenarios in his head-

Aizen had never been the type of man to act without weighing the pros and the cons but watching his mother with that Fergus woman made him realize something.

While he was nowhere near being over the hill, he wasn't exactly a young spring chicken anymore either.

If he wanted to truly call Ichigo-kun his own he would have to prove to the boy that there was no greater match then theirs.

Simply winning over the young Kuchiki or the rest of Ichigo's friends would not be enough.

Winning over the boy's family wouldn't be enough either-

NO!

No-he Aizen Sousuke, son of the late Duke Alaric would have to win the world over-or if not win them over then definitely soften them up a bit at the very least.

Bribery and other underhanded schemes would not win the boy's heart-

No he had to show Ichigo-kun that there was more to him than the proud aristocrat, the father, the leader and business tycoon.

The boy would make him a better person (had already started) and in turn he would give Ichigo-kun the world and anything else the youth might desire.

He could not turn back the clock-could not alter the events of that one afternoon-nor did he truly wish to-to erase the image of Ichigo-kun blushing from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes-

Aizen really should have not let the boy walk away so easily-he hadn't even properly sav-

There was a knock at the door-rousing the man from his thoughts.

"Sou-kun are you asleep?"

Aizen glared at the door but kept his tone even "I am awake. Is there something you wished to ask me mother?"

"You barely said a word at dinner and I was," a pause "Call me a foolish old woman if you wish but I was worried."

Even after all this time it still felt like the woman was smothering him.

Another tap on the door

"Sou-kun?"

If Aizen were a lesser man with fewer brain cells he would have reached across the dresser and jammed the old fashioned quill into his brain just then-wondering in that brief moment how long it would take before his mother realized that the reason there was dead silence was because he was dead.

And then as quickly as the thought came it fled-followed up by another rather humorous yet morbid thought-

'_**To be the uninvited guest at my own funeral-I have to wonder if anyone would actually shed tears over me.'**_

"Sou-kun are you sure you're al-

Aizen rubbed the sides of his temples and turned the lights "You may come in if you wish, Mother."

()()

_**TO BE CONCLUDED**_

_**THIS IS…**_

_**JUST A SNACK TO GET YOU JUMPED UP FOR THE GRAND FINALE!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: KUBO-SENSEI IS LOVE!**

_A/N Yes I know its supposed to be the ending…it wasn't supposed to be split but you see this horrible thing happened…my comp crashed I lost a lot of my files and so the finale was pushed back yet again…it won't be uber long now…My aim is 100-110 pages…I've written 87 so far. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!_

_~SLY~_

WRITTEN FOR BONNENUIT: COME BACK TO FFN SOON, YOU ARE MISSED!

**Warnings: AU, OOC, AiIchi, OthersIchi, other pairings, spelling, grammar, punctuation, plot holes (unintentional) run-ons, flashbacks, flamboyant characters, mentally unstable characters, mentions of preg and mpreg, cross-dressing, language, violence, switching-views, DIALOGUE, crack, humor, 'angst', 'drama', ETC….**

Shades of Orange

Part 16.1 (45pgs) ~ENJOY!

**How far?**

(Nel)

Coming to the park and sitting on the swing set reminded Nel of better times-reminded her of what it was like when she was first adopted by Aizen-sama.

A happy time-a more carefree time-

She had no way of reading Ulquiorra's mind but she wasn't an idiot-he probably wished to talk to her about the mission.

Nel didn't have the energy to talk about how she had been the one to mess everything up.

About how she had felt pressured when Ulquiorra wasn't around and decided to turn to Halibel or Grimmjow.

Grimmjow had his own agenda-although he claimed to trust her he kept so many secrets from her.

And Halibel…she just didn't know what to make of the blonde these days. She was always so high strung around the holiday season.

"Neliel you haven't touched your ice cream."

"Sorry Ulquiorra I guess I'm just not hungry."

Green eyes studied her face "You look like you haven't slept much. What is troubling you?"

Nel curled a stray lock of hair around her finger and answered, "I'm worried about Ichi."

()()

(Hinamori)

The more she thought about it the more Hinamori realized that she couldn't depend on any one but herself.

Shiro-chan had fallen asleep-seemed the powder she slipped into his coffee thermos had done the trick-he was now snoozing like an innocent little lamb.

Drugging her one true ally-one true friend had been a last minute decision.

While it was true that she could have asked the snow-haired boy to carry out to task for her-she really didn't wish to see crimson stains on his little white vest.

Of course she could have asked him to remove the vest but if she had done that then her gaze would have fell on his toned chest- her focus would have wavered-her plans interrupted-she'd completely miss her chance to dispose of the strawberry devil if she gave into troublesome teenage hormones.

And why waste her time-why waste her sweet taste of victory on Shiro-chan, why give a simple chauffeur something as sacred as her virginity when she was saving herself for Aizen-sama?

_**Hinamori would wipe the blood off, bury the weapon and then walk off into the dead of night with a smile of triumph on her face.**_

_**Urahara and Yoruichi were only good for one thing-an alibi-they would be her cover story when the detectives came around and asked questions about the murder.**_

_**It was her mission-no her duty-she'd rid the world of the strawberry devil.**_

_**She'd return home to the mansion and wait for Aizen-sama in their bedroom-yes **__**their**__** bedroom-he may have pushed her away in the past-calling her a foolish child-telling her that her thoughts were inappropriate-refusing to call her by her REAL name but once he saw the woman she'd become-**_

_**Yes everything would work out in the end and by New Years Eve the world wouldn't even remember who the strawberry devil was.**_

()()

Hinamori was a bright girl-she wasn't so foolish as to just fire shots wildly-no she had done her research-hired a small group of delinquents to teach her how to hold and use a gun.

They hadn't asked for much in return-just the standard drugs and money-of course she didn't plan on giving lazy drop-outs anything-but that was for the brown eyed girl to know and for the world to find out.

The pistol wasn't even hers-she'd stolen it before she came home for the holidays-the stupid bitch of a school mistress left the weapon right out in the open-foolishly believed that if it was kept behind glass it would be safe.

Hinamori was (naturally) nervous about handling such a deadly device at first-honestly hadn't even planned on using it-it was originally intended to be a gift-she was going to wrap it red tissue paper, bind it with a gold ribbon and place it under the grand Christmas tree.

But that all changed when the little whore appeared-

_**Yes she would start by eliminating the strawberry first-finding great delight in the boys' pathetic whines as blood seeped from out of every pour and stained the pure white snow-she would throw her head back and laugh as he stared up at her with those damn eyes-if she had time and the proper tools she would pluck those damn eyes out and-**_

_**Well it was best not to think such things-she was wasting time-simply watching his eyes roll back, watching the little bitch take his last breath would be enough-**_

_**But of course she couldn't let on that she was throwing a fucking parade over Ichi whatever the hell is full name was death-no she would have to don the necessary black garb-she would have to play the role of the good daughter-offering her shoulder for her normally strong father to cry on-**_

_**Well perhaps not cry-Aizen-sama was above such "human" emotions-never the less Hinamori would be there to support the man as he mourned the loss of his lovely strawberry whore.**_

_**Yes the boy was lovely-even she who despised most humans-could admit this-all the more reason for her to carry out the plan-**_

_**It didn't have to be this way-if the whore had only picked someone else-someone who didn't matter-one of the freeloaders-the ones who dared to call themselves her siblings-or one of the servants-granted they weren't much to look at but she supposed the strawberry devil could make up for that-**_

Why was she still wasting time thinking 'what if?' scenarios. What's done is done-there was no turning back-no second chances-Aizen-sama was hers and that's all there was to it.

Placing a light kiss on the snow white cheek of the still softly snoozing boy-frowning as his skin felt like frost on her lips-Hinamori wrapped her own scarf around Shiro-chan, snatched the keys out of the ignition, unlocked the doors and slipped out of the vehicle and quietly closed the door behind her.

Pistol safely secured in her left pocket while she held her flashlight in her right hand the brown-eyed girl set off into the late night.

()()

(Halibel)

If her idiotic siblings thought she was going to abandon the mission simply because the would-be-bride had flown the coup they couldn't be more wrong.

Originally it had never been Halibel's intention to force Kurosaki into such a situation-things had spiraled out of her control.

But she was going to fix it-she was going to make things right and not only give father the best Christmas present-she was going to bring the family back together.

Yes as much as she did wish to knock Grimmjow and Nnoitra off a building or into a concrete wall-much as she wanted to wring Ulquiorra's neck for having the gall to talk down to her-as much as she desired to slap Neliel…they were family.

Halibel made a mistake-an error in judgment-make that a couple errors but not anymore!

She would return to the mansion and she would wait.

The door opened and the sound of heels clicking against the woodened floors reached her ears-pulling Halibel from her thoughts and over to her girlfriend.

Her girlfriend who seemed to be emitting some type of glow-positively beaming "Remember when I told you that the cradle formula should be tested before used?"

Halibel nodded wondering what Nemu was getting at.

"Well Mayuri-sama convinced me to use the formula on myself."

Halibel raised a thin blond brow "You-you're carrying?"

"Carrying your baby, our baby, yes."

Green eyes blinked rapidly "But how? I mean it was my understanding that the cradle formula was strictly developed for the male body-

"Mayuri-sama is always working on new formulas-this one is very similar just a lighter potency meant for women who wish to have babies with other women."

It was a bit difficult for Halibel to swallow this new bit of knowledge but once it did she beamed down at her love and picked the smaller woman up and spun her around.

Confident that Kurosaki would surely warm up to the idea of having a baby of his own if the youth saw what an excellent mother she could be with her own child.

"Her due date is April-because she was conceived through scientific methods the amount of months have been shortened."

()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo refused to go anywhere with out putting some real clothes back on-he ignored Hiyori's griping and snarls as he laced up his boots and zipped up his thermal sweater.

()()()

(Hiyori)

"Where the hell are we going at this hour?"

Even though Hiyori knew that the last few days hadn't exactly been a walk in the park for Ichigo she also knew from watching him that as much as the guy griped and complained he was actually enjoying himself.

"Quit you're bitchin' berry face, we're almost there."

She was leading him up to the ski lift. It was the only way they'd be able to talk without interruptions.

Yes there were many perks to being a member of the Viso ski lodge-her favorite being she could use the equipment at any time she deemed necessary.

Well okay technically that wasn't entirely true but what was the point in being young without being a little reckless.

()()

(Ichigo)

"You're just like me Ichigo."

He was beginning to grow tiered of hearing these same words.

"Yeah your brother said the same thing to me."

"_Half _brother and don't listen to Shinji-he's an idiot! _**I **_on the other hand actually know exactly what I'm talking about."

The blonde started rubbing her hands together and blowing on them.

"Are you sure you're not cold?"

They were up high on one of the ski lifts-just sitting and the wind chill was not the least bit pleasant.

Another minute more and they would probably freeze to death.

"I'm fine," Hiyori snapped even as her teeth chattered.

Ichigo rolled his eyes wishing the girl would just admit that she was cold but he had been around her long enough by now to know that she was stubborn.

So he ignored the way his own body shivered and handed Hiyori his sweater.

After a moment or two the blonde accepted it with a wry grin

"Just look at us, pair of idiots out here in the cold underdressed and love-sick-well you're actually the one whose love sick I'm just trying to teach you how not to be so obvious about it."

"Oh and what way would that be?" Ichigo asked as he watched Hiyori tie the sweater around her head. His brow twitched "Dumb ass its not meant to be worn like that."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Hiyori snapped and as she stood up the lift started to rock.

"What the-are you trying to get us both killed?"

"I told you not to tell me what to do berry-face!" She raised her foot as if to strike and Ichigo began to question her sanity-

"Hiyori, seriously get down."

"Shut up! This is the quickest way to keep warm-if you had any sense at all you would do the same."

To make matters worse the blonde start jumping-it would have been rather impressive if Ichigo wasn't concerned about making sure they both came out of this alive.

"You! You don't even-this is just stupid Hiyori now sit back down."

The blonde only stopped to point and laugh at him "Hahahaha you should see your face right now-its so red and your eyes their like the size of dinner plates," she continued laughing even as he glared "I'm-haha I'm really glad you came along Ichigo."

An orange brow was raised, "You still haven't explained how you found me."

A mischievous grin made its way on to Hiyori's face "Well I could tell you that I've been watching you for awhile but that's only the half truth-if you want to know the rest-and if you wish to know who the 'anon' caller is then you'll have to stop acting like such a cowardly lil berry and join me in keeping warm."

"You're crazy."

And yet even with these words Ichigo realized that yes he would like a real answer and so he placed his hands on to the bar and slowly raised his body up-forcing himself not to look down-not to think about how incredibly stupid this stunt was-the lift rocked even more-the wind continued to howl

"So tell me."

Hands tucked behind her head, looking as though she didn't have a single care in the world-

"What do you wish for me to tell you?"

"Everything."

"Everything? I don't know everything Ichigo."

"Fine then just tell me what you know."

"About the caller."

"If you want to start with the caller that's fine but I really want to know just how you seem to know so much about me."

"…"

The blonde stared off into the distance-no longer moving just standing still-

"Hiyori?"

"I love it up here." She said after a moment.

Ichigo willed himself to forget about the height and just stare out into the starless night-try to see what ever it was the blonde saw-

"It's quiet-well aside from the wind that is."

"It's more than that up here I feel like I can do anything-

"Like?"

Why was he asking her such a question?

"I'm surprised you actually went through with it."

A raised brow "Went through with what?"

A shrug "Never mind, its not important." After a moment Hiyori grinned at Ichigo "So before I begin answering questions and explaining things why don't you sit back down before you break this damn lift?"

"I'll only sit back down if you do the same."

An eye roll, "This isn't a game Ichigo."

"I know its not Hiyori but I figure even if the damn lift does break and we both wind up in body casts at least we'll keep each other company."

The blonde blinked in surprise and then laughed once more and shaking her head she repeated the words "You really are just like me."

"You keep saying that."

The wind picked up and Ichigo had no choice but to raise his voice to shout out "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Hiyori shouted back "That you think you know what you want, who you want but you have no idea."

"What makes you say that?" He moved closer to the blonde and grabbed a hold of her hand.

"I mean you're too caught up in what other people are telling you-what your hollow is telling you?"

Ichigo was utterly baffled "Hollow?" What the hell did she mean hollow-what the hell was a hollow?

"It's just a little term I came up with after watching Happy Hollows," a shrug, "It just seemed fitting because in a way you're like a shape shifter ya know only you don't really change shape but at the same time you kinda do. Don't worry I have one too-she's on vacation at the moment but-

"I don't-you're not making any sense Hiyori."

"Don't lie to me Ichigo I've seen you space out-drift into another mind set-but you're not really spacing out-you're having an inner battle with your other personality."

"You-! There's no-no one knows about Shirosaki."

The blonde snorted, "That what ya call him? Hmm gotta say its a lot better than the name I came up with."

Ichigo didn't know what possessed him to ask this next question "What do you call yours?"

Another shrug, "Just call her Orochi-there's more-meaning it's longer but I rather not reveal all my secrets at this time." Hazel eyes danced and she moved a little closer to him "Maybe it's a sign that you and I should get hitched or something?"

Was Hiyori hitting on him?

No-she had to be messing around-there was no way-

WHAM!

He didn't even want to guess how the blonde had managed to lift her leg and hit him at even this angle

Ichigo rubbed the side of his cheek and glared "What the hell was that for?"

"Stupid Ichi! You don't even remember me do you?"

()()()

(Aizen)

He hadn't even bothered to unpack his luggage because he knew he would not be staying for long.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do Sou-kun?"

His original plan had been to leave in the morning but Aizen could not stand to be around the woman for another minute.

It felt a little too much like déjà vu for his liking-sitting on the bed with his mother sitting beside him-foolishly believing the sight of her shimmering eyes-that her hand on top of his would stop him from leaving.

She had never had any control over him to begin with-he only let her believe what she wanted to believe.

"Yes. I cannot afford to waste another moment. There is no time to spare I am already behind schedule."

"Sou-kun being in love is not about following a schedule."

"Do not tell me what love is mother. My definition for it may differ from the rest of society but it is just as good if not more so."

As if a man like Aizen Sousuke gave a damn about what the rest of society thought anyway-

"But you only just arrived a short while ago. I was hoping we could go to the opera house tomorrow and to the museum on Thursday next, it has been far too long since I have spent time with my one and only son."

And now the woman was laying the guilt trip on him-

Aizen mentally cursed-falling in love had thrown him off balance-he had foolishly lowered his guard and now his mother was trying to needle her way in-

She had always been a rather selfish individual-the spoiled queen with out the official crown-

The more Aizen thought about it the more he concluded that he did not want his mother around the boy-she would only taint Ichigo-kun

""Perhaps some other time mother, right now I should devote my time to the boy."

This was only the half-truth. He was going to devote more than just his time to the orange haired youth.

"I've never seen you act like this Sou-kun."

"I have never been in love before. Any previous engagements were merely trial runs-illusions if one must insist on putting a label on it."

"Before you run off into the middle of the night don't you think you should find out if he feels the same way towards you?" a pause "I mean 19 is awfully young."

He stood up ignoring as the woman reached out for him.

"Age is not an issue mother you yourself have said-

"And I meant it. Love knows no bounds. It does not have an age or time limit on it but-

A raised brow "But?"

"Oh please try to understand Sou-kun I just don't want to see you set yourself up for disappointment."

"That is not possible. Ichigo-kun isn't like t-

"Stop thinking with your heart for a minute and listen to reason! You've known this boy for what a few weeks? Less than a month? -

How dare she! What right did she have to judge him!

"What is your point? What brought this on-this sudden change of heart? It is not like you to question my judgment."

He wondered if it was that damn Fergus woman-probably putting ideas in his mother's head-

"I assure you I am doing no such thing Sou-kun-

Her hand touched his shoulder and he shrugged it off and turned to her with narrowed brown eyes

"Then what are you doing? What are you trying to tell me?"

He ignored her pained expression and started heading for the door

She followed him and grabbed a hold of his arm-forcing him to turn and face her once more

"I-It is not so much that I wish to tell you something I'm just trying to unders-

"There is nothing for you to understand. Just accept."

"And I do Sou-kun-you say you will offer this boy what ever his heart desires but what can he offer you in return?"

"The missing piece."

"The missing piece of what Sou-kun?"

"It is not your concern."

"It is very much my concern you are my s-

"No it is not nor anyone else's. You know only what I wished to tell you and it will remain that way."

She flinched at his words-flinched as he continued to distance himself from her coddling hold-long lashes fell over pale eyes-her voice cracked

"Why are you so cold to your mother Sou-kun? Sometimes I truly have to wonder if you hold any sort of love for me at all."

Love?

Half the time he wasn't even sure if he liked the woman but of course he could not tell her this-she would only continue drag this 'conversation' out-he did not have the patience for it.

"You are the woman who brought me into this world-the one who helped mold me-fear not no one shall ever take your place."

"You didn't answer my question Sou-kun."

He clenched and unclenched his jaw-willing himself to keep his temper in check. It would not benefit him in anyway if he lashed out at her now-

He could just imagine that Fergus woman and her daughter barging into the room-raising some sort of riot-accusing him of being some sort of evil and vile man-

The migraine hadn't quite faded

"What do you wish for me to tell you mother? That you are the number one woman in my life-that the reason I fell for the boy is because I saw some of the same attributes or qualities in him that I see in you-do you wish for me to lie as well?"

"NO! I never wished for any of th-

"Any of what mother? Why are you shedding tears now when mere hours ago you expressed just how happy you were for me?"

"I am happy for you. You are my son-my pride and joy and I wish for nothing than the absolute best for you."

"If this is true then you will dry your tears and smile for me. If what you say is what you truly feel then you will step aside and let me pass-you will wait patiently until I decide to contact you again."

"Sou-kun!"

"But do not let yourself fall into a great state of depression-fall into a rut which is impossible to pull yourself out of. The next time I see you I expect-

"You will not tell me-my own son will not tell me how I should and shouldn't live my own life!"

"Very well then at the very least you can tell that Fergus woman and her daughter to clean up their act-find a more suitable place to live-a more respectable job-sheep herding will not get you that fancy retirement home in Spain that you have always dreamt of having, mother."

"Sou-kun p-

"I will have the necessary papers drawn up. Fergus will have exactly 30 days to sign-if she should refuse then this is last time you will see my face up until your dying day." He paused in the door way with his back still turned "Have a happy holiday, mother."

()()()

(Ichigo)

"Remember you? You haven't said much to me up until just recently, Hiyori."

"We met a long time ago-at the youth correction facility. You probably don't recognize me because my hair was shorter back then-we shared a bunk a few times though… well up until you became all chum-chum with that free-loading gorilla."

Orange brows furrowed as Ichigo tried to recall what Hiyori was trying to tell him. He vaguely remembered a sour faced blond boy "That was you?"

She glared at him "Hey! I can't help it if I developed at a slower rate then most girls-lacking the big bazookas and all that-

"Hiyori 11 year old girls don't have- he trailed off as the red returned to his cheeks "Anyway I'm sorry I mistook you for a boy back then.

The blonde shrugged, "It's fine, being one of the boys had its perks ya know?"

"Perks?"

"Anyway you're a real bastard for just up and leaving with out even saying goodbye Ichigo."

"Uh sorry I guess but-

A snort "Forget about it-it's in the past though I gotta ask what ever did happen to the gorilla and the shaggy dog-you still hang around them?"

"You mean Renji and Chado?"

"Uh huh yeah sure I mean if that's what you call them-did the redhead's hair ever grow back after I set it on fire."

Ichigo laughed even though it really wasn't funny- "It's even longer now."

"Hmph lucky bastard."

"Hiyori where are you going with all this-I mean even back then I didn't tell anyone about Shirosaki."

"…"

And then "I heard you screaming late in the night-not every night but enough to grab my attention-enough to practically wake the damn dead."

Where was she going with this?

"Okay and?"

"And nothing I'm just stating facts Ichigo." A yawn "Anyway that's not what I really wanted to talk to you about-I dragged you out here to help you find your path."

"My path?"

She nodded and patted his knee "Like I said you and me-we're the same. I too once had a difficult time deciding on who I should choose."

"You're not gonna tell me some story of your first love or something like your brother did are you?"

A grin, "Something like that, yeah."

Ichigo let out a sigh and settled himself in for a long night.

The lift started to move

"Better sit down if you don't want Shinji and Kensei to carry you back to Karakura Town in a body bag.

()()

(Aizen)

Perhaps he'd been a bit harsh but there was no sense in turning back now-mother was a grown woman and so he was confident that she would get past it.

He'd invite her to come and stay with him during the spring-yes that should be more than adequate because by then Ichigo would be settled in and Aizen wouldn't have to worry about anyone posing a threat or coming in between him and the boy.

There was still a matter of Gin, Kaname and the children.

It wouldn't say much about his character if he kicked his family out of the mansion simply because his intended was moving in.

_It certainly wouldn't hurt him financially if he decided to purchase another house-on top of which Ichigo-kun wouldn't have to feel guilty about moving stuff around or booting someone else from the comfort of their own room-not that such selfishness probably existed in the boy to begin with._

_But yes a new house-not a mansion-such a thing wouldn't be necessary if it was only going to be the two of them._

_A house-a house near the boy's college campus-a house where the orange haired youth could decorate to his hearts content._

_A house where Ichigo-kun could cook for him-or an even better thought he and the boy could cook together._

_His little strawberry housewife-a lovely thought indeed._

_Then again why stay cooped up in a house-rather than giving the boy a set of keys-rather then asking Ichigo-kun to move into a new home-rather than making a marriage proposal he should show the youth the world._

_Traveling, exploring the globe with his strawberry queen right by his side._

_Yes Aizen could teach the boy more than a basic text book or a stuffy classroom ever could-they would be more than lovers-more than teacher and student-Ichigo-kun would be his equal-his companion-his friend._

_This is not to say that there wouldn't be a key-a house-a marriage proposal somewhere down the line-naturally all in good time these events would take place but until then…_

()()()

(Ichigo)

"_I developed my first real crush when I turned 15-she was my baseball coach."_

"_She?"_

"_Don't interrupt me when I'm telling a story!"_

Ichigo dodged the shoe that came flying towards him and walked on ahead telling the blonde "I'm not going to listen to your story if you keep trying to attack me with that damn shoe of yours."

They were back on foot treading through the snow-despite the fact that the wind chill was as bitter as ever neither seemed in a hurry to return to the cabin.

Hiyori quickly caught up to him and rather than whacking Ichigo with her favorite weapon she kicked him in the shin and continued her story

"_Yes I was attracted to an older woman but I wasn't foolish enough to believe it would work especially when I wasn't of legal age."_

Mirroring Shinji's earlier actions the blonde plopped down in the snow

"_I would watch her from a far. I envied the way she looked at the headmistress-wished I could have been in that clueless woman's shoes-the other part of me wanted to kick her ass! _

_She was torturing me, slowly killing me and didn't even seem to notice-didn't seem to care-in one of my more twisted fantasies I thought about pushing her out into oncoming traffic-imagined how beautiful she'd look covered in all that crimson."_

_Ichigo felt like he might be sick to his stomach but he quickly concluded that it was probably Hiyori's other personality who had put such dark thoughts in her mind._

"_I know what you're thinking berry face but you're wrong-it was all me-_

Ichigo wasn't one to judge but he couldn't help but think of another individual who seemed to get off on crimson-on hurting another-finding great pleasure in a sadistic act.

But no that would be too much of a coincidence wouldn't it?

"Tell me about the gash on your head."

"I thought you were telling me your s-

"I'll get back to my story in a moment," Hiyori patted the spot beside her, once again mirroring her brother's earlier moves.

Ichigo shrugged and sat down "I was getting ready for a date."

"A date?" Hiyori leered at him "My, my I wonder just what kind of _date_ you were planning that would result in an injury-"she poked him in the ribs. "You're lucky you didn't get a concussion from that."

"No you're getting it all wrong-what I meant was I was at the local grocery store preparing for my date with Kenpachi-he's um well one of my suitors I guess you could say."

The blonde rolled her eyes "Thanks for stating the obvious-so get on with it!"

"Well as I said I was buying groceries because I was going to cook dinner for him as a way of um you know saying thanks and-

"Ichigo stop stalling and just get on with it-how did buying groceries turn into _that_-?" She motioned to the large water -proof bandage on his forehead.

"Well I was talking to one of my erm female admirers named Nel one minute and then next thi-

He trailed off not quite sure how to explain to the blonde that he had gone from being caught off guard, to pissed, to embarrassed, to turned on, to pissed again, to turned on and round and round the loop went.

He decided to instead work his way around it by repeating the same question he had tried to ask Shinji-Hiyori seemed a lot more straight forward so maybe he'd get a real answer.

"Have you ever been attracted to violent or rougher affection?"

"Define attracted."

()()

(Aizen)

Ichigo-kun was young-still had room to make mistakes-probably would have a difficult time remaining loyal.

There were ways to prevent this from happening.

_He could lock the boy up-teach him some obedience-bind that lovely lithe and toned body up in silky ribbons-keeping the holiday spirit-he would select red and green._

_Spanking was art in its own way but Aizen did not wish to harm the boy-did not wish to scar that beautiful peach toned skin-well no more so than necessary._

_Whips and chains were a bit extreme-he would only resort to such methods if and when was he feeling particularly sadistic-yes he would admit it to himself he had a bit of a sadistic streak-one that lay dormant for the most part and only would creep up every now and then._

_But in the end he did not wish to turn his strawberry queen into a prisoner-did not desire to turn the boy into his bed slave-did not wish for the boy to hate him-absolutely refused to let it come to that point-_

The day that Ichigo-kun walked away from him because Aizen had taken it to far…hell would freeze over before he would allow it to happen.

()()()

(Ichigo)

With the exception of leaving out a few details Ichigo had basically explained his entire situation to the blonde girl-filling in the blanks in her assumptions and correcting Hiyori when she was way off-

He still didn't quite understand how she could have access to all that government agency spy gear but he figured as with many things of late that there were certain things he would probably never understand-

Talking with Hiyori hadn't proved entirely useless though-Ichigo had been able to sort out his thoughts as to where Grimmjow and Nnoitra lie in the equation-it was physical attraction and intrigue and nothing more.

_Once this ski lodging trip came to a close he'd tell Grimmjow that they could go camping but that the slick bastard would have to keep his hands to himself-he would make it crystal clear that he wished to be nothing more than friends with the guy._

As for Nnoitra-well there was no telling if he'd ever see his attacker again-all though calling it an attack seemed pretty harsh especially when Ichigo realized he liked it more than he had first thought-

It was no real surprise-he'd always been kind of fucked in the head-half doubted if he'd even be able to have a normal relationship-

_He didn't think offering his friendship to a guy like Nnoitra would work-maybe he could send a Christmas package or something-kinda like a truce-_

_The thought of what Nnoitra's face might look like if he discovered some random present on his doorstep made Ichigo chuckle-_

_Maybe he could propose some type of 3 man bonding adventure-Nnoitra and Grimmjow's personalities were similar-hell Ichigo would be rather impressed if the two didn't get along-plus they both knew Nel so…_

_Hmm maybe instead of friends Ichigo would gain a few extra siblings if what Hiyori had claimed was true and they all came from the same household-_

How the blonde had found this information out she refused to tell Ichigo but he had a few guesses or two by now.

The only thing left to do now was attend to his 'love-life'

Fact was fact.

He hadn't known Aizen or Kenpachi all that long but had never the less felt drawn to their energy-Aizen's commanding and Kenpachi's wild-

In a way both men were about equal-looks and energy aside their personality types complimented Ichigo's own quite well-

()()()

(Hiyori)

As if to remind the berry head that she was still there-though she doubted that he forgot-Hiyori raised her shoe and smacked him "Stop thinking so damn hard! Hasn't my story taught you anything-love is not something you can plan and there is no such thing as a perfect mate-you can't simply narrow it down between bad and worse!"

When the orange haired youth did not bother with a response Hiyori smacked him again "If you're so worried about the perfect setting-the perfect timing-the perfect perfectness of it all then you won't even be able to enjoy it." Hiyori shook her head when she still didn't receive a response.

"Ichigo, think about it in these modern times is your damn virginity really all that sacred?" a snort when his face flushed and he turned to her with an angry scowl

"If that's your biggest problem then I'll go ahead with Shinji's original plan and leave you out here with nothing but a flashlight, a bag of trail mix and heating blanket-you light a fire in one of those little caves up there and sit and wait for Kensei to come and to strip you of your boyhood and make you into real MAN!"

()()

(Ichigo)

What the hell?

Why did Hiyori have to be so damn-?

"Don't act like you don't want it. We all saw the way you were making moon eyes at Kensei and even though he enjoys acting like your lustful boyish looking face has no affect on him-the rapid nosebleeds speak for themselves."

She was lying.

There was no way Hiyori was telling the truth. She was just saying all of this to get a rise out of him and to get his mind off the Aizen vs Kenpachi situation.

"Come on Hiyori now you're just trying to piss me off-distract me or something-I think I would know if Kensei-

She poked her finger in his face-flicking his forehead

"You don't know anything berry-face-too damn busy lost in your dreams of your future master-or masters-you know what they say sometimes a bride can choose more than one husband-

"The hell! What is-Hiyori just stop already! You're a lot less annoying to be around when you're not trying to go out of your way and say embarrassing ass shit about me and my 'supposed' feelings towards-

"Sorry to burst your strawberry bubble but a young virgin male is only gonna let out a moan for two reasons and the moans coming out of your mouth did not sound like someone who was being tortured- a snorting laugh

"Don't worry about feeling embarrassed or looking for ways to apologize when we get back-my brother and his friends have lived for many years-have seen it all-some hot and bothered late blooming teen grinding and rubbing his body against one thing or person or another isn't a big deal-actually he'll probably thank you for it-every one will-especially Riza-thanks to you using Kensei like some pup humping a fire hydrant she'll have just the material she needs for her next big porn production."

"P-porn production?"

The blonde patted him on the shoulder as if to console him-

"Don't worry we made sure to only film you from the waist up-

"F-film me?"

Ichigo red face went even redder-

Why in the name of all things good and holy did this sort of thing always have to happen to him?

"We'll issue you your own private copy of course and just think on Christmas night you can present it to either Aizen or Kenpachi and-

"Hiyori y-

The blonde grinned, "Yes?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the girl "You're not like some demon sent up to torture me in the guise of a perverted stalker chick are you?"

After a moment or two the blonde burst out into a fit of laughter and slapped him harder on the shoulder this time

"You really need to learn to lighten up berry-face. I mean you're 19, its perfectly natural to be horny-hell if it wasn't so painfully obvious that you're an uke berry twinkle star waiting for the right seme to pounce I would have thrown myself at you the moment you woke up. Nah scratch that-I woulda jumped your bones months ago."

Okay that time he knew the blonde was flirting/teasing him.

"I thought you said you were into women."

Another poke to the forehead "_**WRONG!"**_ Hiyori bellowed loud enough to make the mountain shake "I'm into anyone who has a fine set of abs, perky nipples and an edible looking ass," she leered at him "You just happen to fit all three _Ichigo_."

Great.

Here he had been worrying about Shinji and Risa and it turned out that the blonde snaggletooth was the biggest pervert of them all.

"It's true I don't come equipped with a penis," Hiyori rested her hand on his thigh and leaned in even closer-hazel eyes glittering with suggestive intent " but if its _oral _pleasure you're looking for well… a pause as she licked her lips "I can _help_ you out with that."

The very idea turned Ichigo's stomach. "No."

She snorted and pulled away "Such a pussy-I never pegged you to be the type to decline oral,' eye roll "I mean sex is sex-every one does it and if they don't well-

"Aside from the fact that you are a chick-doing something like that would be like coming on to one of my sisters-no thanks but I have better morals than that."

Hiyori rolled her eyes again and stood back up. "You're not really a lot of fun after all and here I was certain a leopard was lurking just beneath the surface- a sigh "Looks like I owe Love that 20 after all."

Ichigo raised a brow-just when he thought Hiyori couldn't get any weirder-she did-

"Are we done here? It's getting to the point where I can barely feel my toes anymore."

Another snort.

What was she? A damn pig?

"As the strawberry princess commands," Hiyori mocked before pulling him to his feet "Let's back track through those trees and then take a right."

()()

(Nnoitra)

It was one thing to fall asleep while drunk it was quite another to get sucker punched while under the influence.

If Nnoitra were a little bitch who whined about a couple of scratches and bruises-the pussy cat would have found himself behind bars quicker than he could say _**'Happy Fuckin Holidays!'**_ but Nnoitra had never been a whiny bitch and he damn sure wasn't going to start now!

Ignoring one particularly nasty scratch on his left forearm, beady eyes narrowed at the closed kitchen door and then he headed for it.

()()

(Grimmjow)

All of the bullshit and drama and Grimmjow had almost forgotten one of the most important things about the holiday season-presents.

He wouldn't even be able to set one foot back in "fathers" mansion without having a nice little bundle of gifts for his "siblings" and the bastard himself.

But truthfully Grimmjow didn't want to spend shit on his "family" except for maybe Neliel, Lili and Starrk but that was only because those three didn't get under his skin like Halibel, Nnoitra and Ulquiorra did.

Granted Ulquiorra had kept his distance lately so maybe he'd give the green-eyed "china-doll" a rubix cube or something equally nerdy.

He still wasn't sure what to do about Kurosaki.

It was the orange haired youths fault really-if the guy wasn't so damn delicious to look at electric blues never would have noticed in the first place.

Grimmjow wondered if he would be able to keep his mouth shut long enough-and for that matter his hands to himself as well-long enough to find out what Kurosaki really wanted.

It wouldn't be the first time he went against "family" and it probably wouldn't be the last time either.

_Maybe he could contact Kurosaki and tell the guy that he was just part of a game, a lab rat really, a play thing, a way to pass the time-Grimmjow thought it might just up his chances if he told Kurosaki the real reason why he was approached in the first place._

_Technically "father" didn't know anything about the plan, the mission-the bastard was just as innocent as Kurosaki himself was or so this is what Gin-oji and Nana K preached._

_Even after all these years Grimmjow didn't understand why the three men who "raised him" insisted on such lame ass terms of endearment-especially Tousen-the once blind man didn't make any fucking sense at all-why of all things had he chosen the role of playing nanny._

_The guy hadn't gone so far as to change his diapers or anything like that-hell Grimmjow was way past the age of diapers when they the three men approached him after the accident-he hadn't really known what to think of them-didn't really understand why his feet were moving towards the limo even while his brain felt frozen-_

_Didn't know why the silver snakes slimy smile made him shiver-didn't understand why the man with the stray tendril falling down an aristocratic looking face seemed familiar-damn sure couldn't make sense of the dark-skinned blind guy who had the kind of soothing voice that lulled him to sleep-up until that day nothing had ever lulled Grimmjow to sleep. _

_Grimmjow hadn't slept much at all in his as a child-never really felt the need to._

Now at 20 years of age things like the past didn't mater much to him-there was no real sense of nostalgia or longing-

_Before Aizen, Gin and Tousen-Grimmjow had a life in Canada_

_He didn't remember all that much and didn't really care._

_Some things remained a complete blur while others such as playing hockey with his teammates-remembering that his mother was a singer at a old fashioned night club while his father fixed cars at the family owned auto shop. He was reckless and arrogant-wound up in the nearest clinic more times than could be considered healthy for a child-_

The blue haired male shook his head. Why now was he thinking about such meaningless shit when he should be coming up with a plan to win Kurosaki?

He scowled at the expiration date on the carton of milk in his hand and tossed it over his shoulders and into the trash like he had done with the first two.

Then Grimmjow reached for the lone bottle of water chilling in the refrigerator, twisted the cap open-took a few gulps and continued making his sandwich.

Eating usually helped him think.

()()

(Rukia)

Normally when a person started out a sentence with 'You should probably sit down when you hear what I have to tell you.' It usually meant that said person was either 1) confessing to something or 2) About to deliver some bad news

Rukia didn't think the buxom brunette was going to tell her something bad but she did wonder why the other young woman was gnawing nervously on her bottom lip "What is it Inoue?"

"Well its about Kurosaki-kun and Aizen-san."

"What about them?"

"Well what if I told you that the night of Ishida-kun's fashion show was a set up of sorts or more specifically what occurred before we arrived at the fashion show."

Rukia raised a brow "Go on."

"Well remember how I said I met that hypnotist last fall?"

Rukia didn't have the worst or the best memory but it sounded some what familiar "Are you saying she was controlling our minds that night?"

If that was the case-then Renji had it right-well sort of-point was her redheaded friend had caught on to something that Rukia herself had missed.

_She hadn't done it on purpose-she was just enjoying the way Ichigo acted around the man-was genuinely happy for him-for both of them but if Aizen had hired some hypnotist or something to brainwash her friend well…Rukia decided that she might just have to warm up to Kenpachi-san after all._

_At least he was straight forward and was clear on what he wanted._

_Plus he had a daughter who was all grown up so that meant he had good parenting skills which was a very good thing if Ichigo decided to have children of his own-_

_A little trio of brats. _

_Yeah 3 sounded like a good number. _

_The girl could have Ichigo's hair and Kenpachi's grin and eyes and the twin boys could have Kenpachi's hair and Ichigo's eyes and personality too._

_They might be a little wild and uncouth-probably wouldn't care much for studying or abiding by rules but they would be loyal and fiercely protective when the time called for it._

_She imagined the one son would probably follow in Ichigo's footsteps wishing to do something with literature and-_

"What exactly are you trying to tell me Inoue?"

"I-well it wasn't supposed to be this way-I mean the original plan-

"Plan?" Rukia narrowed silver blues at the brunette, demanding the other girl get on with her story.

"I'll stick to the facts," she lowered her eyes "I hope you don't hate me after you hear everything I'm about to tell you, Kuchiki-san."

"Inoue I promise that whatever it is you wish to tell will not ruin our friendship. So just tell me."

The brunette probably had a good reason for keeping things away from her.

It wasn't in Rukia's nature to jump to conclusions so she would sit and listen.

"Well it actually started with Gin and Kaname-san. They approached me on one random afternoon in October-at first I wasn't sure what to make of them-they didn't seem bad exactly but something about their aura, the energy around them seemed dangerous and Gin-san's smile especially was a bit creepy but I decided to hear them out.

A pause as Inoue lifted her head and met Rukia's eyes again

"They wanted me to join them for coffee."

"Coffee? Why?"

"They wanted to ask me a few questions-although the more I think about it, it was more like they were trying to confirm something about me-I sipped my coffee and remained calm as I tried to decipher what they really wanted."

"And what did they want?"

The idea did not sit well with Rukia. Inoue was a nice girl-almost too nice really-she should not have agreed so e-

"It wasn't me they were really interested in but Kurosaki-kun," Inoue continued to explain "At first I was concerned and thought about going to the police station to report that some strange men were spying-quite possibly stalking my friend but then Kaname-san showed me a picture."

"What sort of picture?"

"Of Aizen-san. Both he and Gin-san took turns explaining why their 'boss' needed some one like Kurosaki-kun. A part of me wanted to decline because well…its not really my place to play matchmaker or push Kurosaki-kun into the arms of some strange man whose love record is well…erm anyway I was ready to walk out the doors and never look back when she appeared."

"The hypnotist?"

"Mm hmm but I found out that Retsu-san was actually a lot more than that. See it turns out that she knew Kurosaki-kun, used to treat him."

"Treat him to what?"

This story was getting more and more disturbing by the moment.

Just what the hell was Inoue doing? What was she thinking getting wrapped up with such people?

"Um its classified-the only thing I can tell you Kuchiki-san is Retsu-san convinced me to go along with Gin-san's plan."

"Gin-san's plan? Don't you mean Gin and Tousen's plans?"

"Well yes and no-that is I mean Tousen-san didn't exactly approve of their methods-but he did wish to see Aizen-san happy so-

Rukia played with the loose thread on the pillow as she tried to digest everything the brunette was telling her.

She frowned.

"Wait a minute even if she or someone else or a bunch of people were messing with Ichigo's mind-fogging up his brain-controlling him he's always been stubborn and strong and surely would be able to break it."

"You really think so Kuchiki-san?"

Honestly Rukia wasn't sure.

"I don't know but none of that really matters." 

"It doesn't?"

Rukia shook her head "The only thing that matters now is Ichigo's happiness."

"Do you think he likes Aizen-san?"

"Its tough to say-I mean I thought he did-well no actually I'm still pretty sure he does but at the same time Kenpachi-san seems better suited for Ichigo's personality type and-

"Do you think Aizen-san will treat Kurosaki-kun well?"

Rukia certainly hoped so. The few times she had spoken to the man his words had seemed sincere but- silver blues grew hard-if Aizen hurt Ichigo she'd-

"If he doesn't I'll kill him."

_She hoped the man wouldn't turn out to be the bastard Renji had accused him of being-hoped that Ichigo would make the decision that made him the most happy._

_She wasn't going to lie to herself though-she'd been looking forward to picking out her friends bridal gown-she'd been looking forward to playing best man-Renji could be a bridesmaid (the thought brought a grin to her face) maybe the group could get together and stalk Ichigo on his honey moon-the orange haired male would be so damn pissed and he'd always been adorable when pissed-_

_The image of Kenpachi and Ichigo's brat trio hadn't quite left the raven haired girls' mind but now she was also picturing a girl with rich brown colored hair and dark eyes-a perfect miniature female version of Aizen-san-only with Ichigo's peach toned skin and trademark scowl-_

_It would be fun spoiling the child-the girl would probably be wise beyond her years and would unintentionally make Rukia feel like an idiot from time to time. _

_When she entered her teen years she'd probably take over one of the branches in Aizen's corporations well…at least until Ichigo stepped in and demanded that their daughter attend highschool like a normal teenager-_

_Or maybe it would be the opposite and the girl would be more like Ichigo's younger sister-a tomboy of sorts who would run around in mud and scrape her knees on sidewalks-she'd be quite the handful but adorable all the same._

_Perhaps she'd have a bit of a mischievous nature and-_

"-tell Kurosaki-kun?"

Huh? Rukia had gotten a bit carried away with her fantasies about Ichigo's future children that she missed what Inoue had asked her.

"What did you say Inoue?"

"I asked you if you think it's a good idea to tell Kurosaki-kun?"

()()()

(Gin)

The holidays, thought Gin, were truly the best time to make love confessions.

He'd done it every other year and this year wouldn't be any different only it would be because the silver-haired man had his sights set on a man who barely seemed to tolerate him half time the time-let alone caught on to his flirting.

Not that this would stop Gin-on the contrary, it only made him twice as determined.

_Things would change-brows would be raised-one of the servants or a band of them might make an attempt on his life-not that they'd get very far-hell before the fools were even able to properly figure out how to use a knife as more than a simple kitchen utensil Gin would already be on to his next task-stepping over the wounded bodies and ignoring the cries and pleas for mercy._

_He would drown out the horrific sounds-a wide grin playing about his face as he slowly grinded their severed appendages down the garbage disposal-_

_Truthfully Gin didn't think he'd have to resort to such tactics considering more than half of the hired help had found themselves in his bed at one point or another and more than a handful were still deeply infatuated with him. _

_Course there was always that one rebel in the bunch-the disgruntled employee who did not know when to bite his_ tongue-

'_**Problem can easily be solved-I'll4 bite it off for em'**_

There was only one employee that Gin had grown quite attached too-his Izuru-chan hadn't taken his announcement well-

Course that could be partially do to the fact that he had basically dumped the blond during mid-orgasm-

_The sight of those big baby blues tearing up was not something that Gin had wished to see-such a broken hearted expression did not suit Izu at all but the blond had been quite foolish to think it would ever go into something deeper than hardcore lust-_

"_We're not meant ta be Izuru-chan but trust me when I say this Ran-chan will take good care of you."_

_The blond threw off the covers and got down on his knees-pressing his rose-tinted lips to the palms of his silver foxes' hands-_

"_I don't want some woman who enjoys sloshing sake down her blouse every 5 minutes I only want you-please don't leave me Ichimaru-tai-no sama yes you are my master-my everything and I beg you don't leave me!"_

_Eyes opened just the slightest crack-awarding his loyal Izu-chan with the rare sight of his crystal blues rather than the crimson he showed to everyone else-it was unique an unexplained ability-changing the color of his eyes based on emotion-_

_But it proved to bring more problems than Gin had wished for-Izu-kun's pleas' became even more desperate-_

"_You can not walk away from me after displaying such a beautiful side to yourself-'_

In the end the blond had given Gin no other choice-the blond had forced him to be cruel-had forced him to

An incoherent babble from a different blond-a younger blond-a less dramatic and irritating blond pulled the silver haired man from his thoughts and back to the task at hand.

"Waaa ahhh gaaaa."

"That's it Wonderweiss-chan, make sure this particular cookie gets extra sprinkles."

There was no quicker way to mam's heart than through his stomach so the saying went-and through the combined sweetness of sprinkles, frosting and an adorable blond helper, Gin's sure fire way to win Tousen-san's heart would be set in stone-although come this time tomorrow he'd be calling the other man Kaname.

This was Gin's self-help-appetizer-a little bit of fun, fluff and a glorious non-stop round of jolly good fucking-both he and his partner of choice would be equally sore in the most delicious of ways. 

Yes Gin had long since realized that if he wanted to win his beautiful dark skinned companion over he'd have to compromise and truthfully had he had no objections.

Sex was sex. He had played both roles throughout his 26 years of living and was sure Kaname had as well.

After all there was no way a passionate and fiery type could be a dull lover.

It wasn't a random and spur of the moment decision-Gin didn't just wake up one day and decide he wanted a new lover-no the idea had been brewing in his mind for quite some time.

It had simply been put on pause while he had focused his energy on presenting Aizen-sama with the perfect pride-which seemed to be working out quite well all things considered-

Still…

There was far too much of a distance between them-he would have to give the blossoming pair an extra push-

Ichi-chan was a bit of a tease and it was for this reason and quite a few others that the boy would fit perfectly into their little nitch.

Hinamori had run off again-dragging poor Toshi-chan with her-Gin almost felt sorry for the snow-haired boy-

"What are you plotting now, Gin?"

Kicking aside all thoughts of the children, Ichi-chan and Aizen-sama, Gin turned to greet his holiday-treat to be-with the widest of wide grins stretching his face "Finish writing your latest column already Tousen-san?"

The man frowned "What is Wonderweiss doing out of bed?"

"Ahhh daaaa Chhhuiii."

Fingers full of batter, sprinkles and food coloring the blond boy ran over to his adopted father and wasted no time in dirtying the man's suit.

If it had been anyone else but Wonderwiess-

Gin's grinned wider at the scene

"Stop grinning Gin. You know Wonderwiess is supposed to be in bed by 9 at the latest."

"Oh ligh'en up Tousen-san we were jus' havin' a bit of fun-sides it's the holidays."

"Be that as it may Wonde-

Batter splattered in the man's face-effectively cutting off his lecture.

Gin snickered and the tossed Tousen a towel while Wonderweiss blinked cutely.

"That's right Wonderweiss-chan, sharin' cookies is the best way to enjoy it."

Tousen let out a sigh and smoothed back the boys blond hair before pinning Gin with a glare (which secretly made the silver-haired male feel all warm and tingly inside) "Do not encourage my son to behave like a barbarian."

()()

(Aizen)

Halibel had finally contacted him back although strangely Ichigo-kun's name had not come up in the conversation-instead the blonde asked questions about baby carriages, baby names, baby showers, baby blankets and bonnets.

It was rather out of character. 

Never once had he pegged his eldest daughter to be the motherly type-not that the young woman wasn't capable of showing love and affection but he knew that her own childhood hadn't exactly been the best.

The blonde had gone through years of counseling in order to get to where she was now.

SO perhaps that meant she was ready to bury all negative thoughts on what a parent should be and decided to give it a go and have a child of her own.

Grandchildren. Aizen hadn't been expecting it for awhile but he certainly had no objections all though he had to wonder how Nemu-chan would take it. He was quite certain that the medical student was infatuated with Halibel-unless could it be?

Had Mayuri, the girl's father, succeeded where all other doctors and scientists before him had failed?

A smirk made its way on to Aizen's face. If Halibel's story checked out this could change things-for the better of course.

A child of his own-one who wouldn't be tainted or poisoned by bad blood lines or poor upbringing-a perfect little angel who would look up at him with adoring eyes-eyes that mirrored that of its mother-beautiful cinnamon and coffee brown framed by long orange lashes-

Aizen could see it now-clear as day-yes Ichigo-kun as beautiful as ever but with a proud and radiant glow-putting those slightly feminine hips to better use-

Yes his strawberry queen would be positively breathtaking.

Best to put those thoughts to the side for the moment.

One thing at a time.

That's right!

He was about to introduce himself to the boys' parents.

It hadn't taken long-a few phone calls and he'd been able to track down the Kurosaki's.

()()

Crashing in unannounced was bad manners but if he planned to wed the boy before summer he would need to have the blessing as soon as possible.

Checking his profile in the mirror because yes Aizen did pay a great deal of attention to his appearance.

Running his fingers through his hair-letting a few of wavy locks fall freely into his face-swapping his contact lenses for his glasses.

Perhaps it was a some what manipulative angle altering his appearance just the slightest but in the past he'd been told it made him look warmer, more approachable, sincere, youthful.

He needed the boys' parents to trust him.

()()

It wasn't really a matter of pretending. He wasn't even wearing a mask-it was tactic-a way to obtain what he wanted at a faster rate.

His intentions were good. His intentions were pure.

Aizen Sousuke was going through such lengths because he fell in love.

Full-blown love. Not half assed such as his experiences in the past.

Ichigo-kun probably wouldn't be very happy to know that he had visited his parents-Aizen knew this well and so he decided to reach out to the boy through their connection-enter the boys' dream world once more-that way he couldn't be accused of being a shady bastard when they next crossed paths.

Which would be as soon as possible if Aizen had anything to say about it and he did.

()()

There was only one problem-Ichigo-kun wasn't sleeping.

Aizen let out a sigh-mentally preparing himself for the return migraine-which was no doubt just around the corner.

No matter-he would just have to explain what happened-Ichigo-kun might be a little irritated but he would forgive.

Of course he would.

()()()

16.2 COMING SOON!


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: I don't wish for world destruction but I do wish for berries, orange ones that is- Whatcha say Kubo-sensei wanna share ownership of your genius creation?**

**When Bonne originally convinced/inspired me to make a sequel to TAXI, TAXI I don't think either one of us expected it to turn into this-hope you like the ending Sarah!**

**A/N Yes this is the end of it all…my longest project to date comes to a close. **

**THANKS TO ALL FOR READING/FAVORITING/ ETC…**

**And an special extra thanks to: **

**BonneNuit**

**RamencupMiso **

**Ane-chan **

**Totoromo **

~SLY~

**Closing notes at the bottom**

Warnings: AU, OOC, AiIchi, OthersIchi, other pairings, spelling, grammar, punctuation, plot holes (unintentional) run-ons, flashbacks, flamboyant characters, mind manipulation, insane characters, mpreg, cross-dressing, language, violence, switching-views, DIALOGUE, crack, humor, 'angst', 'drama', ETC….

**Shades of Orange **

**FINAL CHAPTER**

ITS BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE…

()()()

(Hinamori)

It shouldn't be this damn difficult-why were they making it so damn difficult for her to get a clear shot?

Hinamori didn't have any desire to take out an innocent bystander-if the blonde could just move a couple of inches to the left-no the right-no no no damn it!

As if to mock her, the blonde moved in closer to the strawberry.

Hinamori had to think fast.

Although sunrise was still many hours away the longer it took to kill the she-devil the less amount of time she'd have to hide his body-then again they were high up in the mountains-practically in the middle of nowhere so maybe she'd get lucky and a bear or some kind of wild and deadly creature would appear.

Granted it wouldn't be much of a meal-more like a dessert-strawberry sorbet a la mountain.

()()()

(Hiyori)

Instincts had never led her down the wrong path before-it wasn't a matter of thinking or guessing Hiyori KNEW someone was following them-the only question remaining was why?

She considered everything she knew and had discovered about the berry walking beside her. He was such a likable guy-who could dislike someone like Ichigo?

He couldn't have enemies could he?

'_**Don't be so fuckin' stupid Hiyori of course he's got enemies-everyone's got enemies.'**_

'_Okay then next question should be how strong or dangerous is this enemy? And will I be able to take them down if necessary?'_

_**A snort 'No wonder no guy ever wastes his time with you-you spend too much time trying to be the man.'**_

'_Ah shut up Orochi-you need to focus on sniffing out our opponent.'_

_()()_

(Hinamori)

The brown-eyed girl was pulled from her happy thoughts at the sound of-

"Shh! I think I might've heard something just now."

"What are you talking about Hiyori? There's no one out here but us."

Hinamori froze in her tracks-cursing herself for wearing such clunky boots.

She ducked behind a tree just in time-a mere second later and they would have surely spotted her-heart pounding-fingers sweating-forcing her self to hold her breath-

"Hiyori it was probably just a deer or something."

"Are you some kind of idiot berry-face? Wait! No scratch that of course you are-there are no damn deer up in Viso ski lodge."

"Well then maybe it was a night owl or something."

"Owls do not make footprints in the snow Ichigo. They also don't wave around bright pink flash lights with blue feathers dangling off of em'-some one is following us."

The blondes' voice was serious. Hinamori forced her body lower to the ground behind the tree-twitching her nose in distaste when she detected a swirl of yellow which damn sure wasn't fucking food coloring.

"You're paranoid. It's probably just a ski instructor or a security guard or something-we're not supposed to be roaming the mountains at this time of night you know."

Awww the strawberry whore actually had a brain wasn't that nice.

Hinamori felt like hurling because despite their back and forth bickering the blonde and the whore seemed very close.

No it was not jealousy seeping into her brain, her bones, her entire being just then.

Like she gave a rat's left testicle if-

"Shut up! I know what I'm talking about because I come to this mountain every damn weekend so I know it like the annoying hollow who lives in the back of my brain."

Hollow? Hollow? What the hell was the blonde talking about? Why was she talking about her brain? Could it be-could the blonde be a minion? Is that why she was so close to the strawberry she-devil?

Hinamori felt her opportunity to dispose of the demon slipping out of her grasp-NO! NO! NO!

She absolutely could not let this bitch prevent her from murdering the whore who had brained washed her Aizen-sama.

With a battle cry that could be heard clear across the mountain range and do Priestess _Tobiume _proud, Hinamori leapt out and charged at her target (1)

()()

(Ichigo)

He was only half listening to Hiyori's paranoid babbles-because as it was he had more important things on his mind.

Ichigo did not make promises only to break them but it was a bit of challenge trying to figure how to evenly divide his time between his two suitors on the road to love.

Aizen had been the one to ask first and it warmed Ichigo's entire being to know that the man desired him to such a degree-meant even more that the man allowed him space and time to think-gave him the chance-the option to back out-

When Ichigo thought about how warm and gentle Sousuke's expression had been-how open and realistic the man had been with him he found that he could _almost _forgive the man for being such a pervert.

He would go to Aizen's mansion on Christmas Eve and collect the replacement underwear that the man had promised him and while he was there he might give something in return.

After all tis' the season to be…well he didn't have it in his heart to be greedy and needy didn't sound all that appealing either but perhaps Sousuke would find it amusing if Ichigo demanded sex?

Could he really do such a thing?

But wait that wasn't exactly giving the man something was it? Well it was but-

Ichigo frowned-there were a few things about Aizen that made him feel uneasy-uncertain-

He did not like the way Sousuke spoke about women-did not approve of the way the man spoke to his daughter.

Treating the girl as though she were a thorn in his side.

Is that how he would treat Ichigo once he grew bored of their relationship down the line?

Would he see him as nothing more than an eyesore?

Aizen Sousuke was not an easy man to unravel-unmask by any stretch and it was because of this reason that Ichigo wished to learn more.

It wasn't fair of him to pass judgment. There was probably a lot that went on between Aizen and the girl that he didn't understand.

Although Hinamori hadn't directly spoken to him only sneered and made nasty untrue comments-accusations really-for all he knew the girl might just simply suffer from some sort of father complex.

She probably looked up to Aizen. It must have been a shock. Ichigo put himself in Hinamori's place for a moment-yes her anger was justified.

It probably wasn't every day she walked into a library and found a half naked college boy on her father's couch.

Ichigo face flushed at the memory.

Yes he had enjoyed that afternoon with Sousuke-yes he wished for more afternoons with Sousuke but without the spectators.

'_**Never again.'**_

Outside of chaste kissing or holding hands Ichigo had no desire to put on a show.

His sex life with Sousuke (once it reached that point) was sacred-personal-not something to be publicized.

To put it lightly Ichigo had felt drained after that afternoon with Aizen.

It was enjoyable and he had half a mind to just crash on Sousuke's bed but he didn't and why?

Because Ichigo didn't want to give off the wrong impression.

Yes they had seen each others naked bodies-they had pleasured each other orally-in addition the man had made him black out-the sheer intensity-the pleasure-nothing but a teaser probably-an appetizer before the main course-

Ichigo didn't admit it to himself then but he'd admit to himself now it was almost too much to handle-the real reason he fled-

He flinched-running wasn't really in his nature but yes that is exactly what he had done.

And why?

Ichigo wasn't ready to say the answer out loud-though he knew it in his heart-could feel it in his soul-

Sousuke was-

'_**There ya go thinkin' too much again-I'm tellin' ya King stop thinkin' so damn much and just let yourself feel-**_

'_There's more to a bond-a relationship then what happens when the lights go dim and when the clothes come off-I want to know more of his story-I want to-_

'_**Yap yap yap doncha ever know how to shut up and just let things play out-I mean think about it how much do you know about anyone-take Pachi for example-sure ya know the basics like his age and the fact that he's divorced and the fact that he has a daughter whose gettin' hitched soon-ya know about his dog and how he can't live with out the damn thing but what else has he told ya? Nothin-and you're okay with that.'**_

'_No I'm not. Relationships are based on many things-_

_**Blah blah and? Listen' Ichi I'm tellin' ya if ya let a good thing walk away ya are so gonna regret it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride- -think of how oh so perfect it'll feel to have 10 plus inches of grade A man beef pumpin' in ya.'**_

'_10 plus geez do you have to be so effing crude all the damn time?'_

'_**Heh what's the matter King, worried ya pretty ass will rip? Ya could always start with smaller meats and work your way up to the large ones-bet even ya friend Keigo wouldn't mind tappin' that ass of yours-he can't be no bigger than an average 5 inch maybe a lil' more**_

_**A snicker**_

'_**Ya could even make a game of it, put on a blonde wig and call ya self Goldilocks-stead a searchin' for the best porridge or bed you're selecting the beef that fits ya best-this ones too big-this ones too small-this ones just RIGHT! Speakin' of jus' right maybe ya should walk down the aisle with Aizen Sousuke-sama and all that-7 plus inches seemed pretty damn promising**_

'_SHUT UP SHIROSAKI! I've had enough of your opinions.'_

_**Another snicker**_

'_**Jus sayin' if ya ever give ya pretty ass a chance to experience the pleasure of GRADE A BEEF ya won't be so-**_

'_FUCK JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"_

_A loud cackle and the voice fell silent._

_Damn Shirosaki. _

_Here Ichigo had been reaching an epiphany of sorts or whatever the fuck it was called and his damn 'hollow' just had to jump on in with his typical crude and perverse lines-_

Ichigo frowned. It was too much.

Maybe instead of spending Christmas with Sousuke or Kenpachi he should distance himself-go far far away where no one-not even Rukia could find him.

His frown deepened. No he couldn't run away. Couldn't further prolong the inevitable-he had to act-had to move forward-had to do away with his pesky virginity once and for all.

He was getting a headache just thinking about it-

Why? This is getting beyond ridiculous.

_**Maybe Hiyori is right-maybe I would be better off just having sex already-doesn't matter with who so long as they know what their doing r-?**_

"DIE STRAWBERRY WHORE!"

Ichigo blinked.

He couldn't even recall when he had stopped walking and now a girl-a familiar looking girl-Hinamori?

Yes Hinamori was charging straight for him-her dark brown eyes were spinning madly-between her dainty fingers shaking-shaking and unsteady-it did not look like a prop or a children's toy-

What the hell was Hinamori doing here and why the hell was she carrying a gun?

Why was there dried blood at the corner of her lip-why were there twigs in her hair-why was Hiyori suddenly shielding him?

Ichigo thought that it was high time he should stop spacing out because lately whenever he did things like this happened "Hiyori?"

"Shut up and run for it berry-face I got this!"

()()()

(Shinji)

He knew he should have gone with Hiyori despite her protests-if he had then he wouldn't have to worry right now-not that Hiyori wasn't tough and couldn't handle herself (because she could) but she tended to jump into dangerous situations with out thinking.

And the fact that she had dragged Ichigo with her in order to challenge the orange berry to some stupid race down the ski slopes-

Much as Hiyori enjoyed denying being related to him Shinji couldn't imagine his life with out his sister.

So it wasn't really a matter of if-Shinji would round up his lodging companions and go searching for Hiyori and Ichigo.

()()()

(Kenpachi)

Ichigo was his therefore everything that belonged to the youth belonged to Kenpachi by default.

Ichigo's friends were too intimidated by him to protest his sleeping in the orange berry's bedroom.

()()

The blanket on which should have been on the bed was a wrinkled mess on the floor, the bed sheets half off the bed-a mini mountain of pillows in various shades of blue were propped up against the headboard-

It made Kenpachi grin and think perverted thoughts.

For what other reason could Ichigo have had to leave his bedroom in such a mess other than to have-Kenpachi pressed his nose into the sheets searching for evidence to confirm his suspicions.

He was a bit disappointed when he found no traces of the youth's special nectar unless-

Gray-green eyes shifted towards the tiny waste basket placed beside the desk top-

Kenpachi was not the type to go dump diving but his curiosity was beginning to get the best of him-so like a naughty teenager reborn again he abandoned the non-soiled bed sheets in favor of searching the waste basket.

A wad of tissues would be more than enough to confirm it-either that or soiled briefs

()

Once again Kenpachi was disappointed to find no such traces of berry nectar.

He frowned trying to figure out why he wasn't having any luck in his search.

And then it dawned on him-the partially opened door connected to the room-must surely be the bathroom-Ichigo's private bathroom to be exact

Kenpachi grinned widely and made his way towards said bathroom

()()

In his college years Kenpachi had spent a few months studying forensics-he had learned/discovered that even water could not completely erase all evidence-the evidence of self pleasure

()

Pulling back the shower curtain-the man had finally struck gold!

He hadn't convinced Ichigo to masturbate in front of him-hell he hadn't even seen the boy with out his underwear yet and he'd bet anything that the orange berry was the type who looked even hotter with out clothes than he did with clothes.

There was a knock at the door pulling Kenpachi from his musing-

"Ichi-nii why are Rukia-nee, Renji-san, Hime-san and a Pocky Pal celebrity lounging in our living room?"

Ichi-nii?

Could this be one of Ichigo's sisters?

Kenpachi knew if he didn't answer the girl would probably barge in but how exactly would he explain his appearance sans Ichigo?

()()

(Hiyori)

But of course the berry wasn't even paying attention-of course he didn't realize just how dire the situation was-of course he pushed Hiyori out of the way in order to try and reason with the blood-crazed brown-eyed girl

()()

The first shot went off. It was a deafening sound-luckily it had hit the ground and not human flesh.

Hiyori had little time to breathe a sigh of relief as the insane brown-eyed girl pulled the trigger again-

This time less than an inch from grazing Ichigo's shoulder-

Hiyori stomped her foot-absolutely fucking furious with herself for not charging at the bitch the moment she jumped out from behind the trees.

Rolling her eyes when the orange berry still tried to reason with the girl "Listen Hina-

"Idiot," Hiyori hissed "That's not the kind of creature who wants to listen to reason-fucking put up your guard before she puts a bullet in your chest."

A third gun shot went off-up in the sky-

Hiyori had enough!

She charged-bulldozed right into the duo who were struggling-well more like Hiamori thrashing violently and smacking the berry with the gun while the berry tried to free it from the girl's grasp-

Hiyori's interference worked out quite well all things considered-the gun went flying

But now the deranged brunette and the berry went rolling down, down the hill at wind speed-

Hiyori thought quickly-reaching into the pocket of her pants-fishing out a rope-

Shinji and the others always made fun of her for going around with random items in her pockets but quickly shut up when said items in came in handy during times like these.

()()

(Starrk)

He'd been perfectly content to just stay in the vehicle and catch up on much needed sleep-in fact if Starrk had it his way he'd sleep through the entire holiday season-possibly longer-not resurface until spring time-

Of course he couldn't really do this tempting as it was-he'd miss all the action if he just sat around.

Plus he did wonder who would win the berry in the end?

He still didn't like that his 'siblings' treated and talked about the youth as though he were some kind of prize but in a way that's exactly what Ichigo was.

Of course what ever decision the guy wound up making Starrk would be happy for him-

Grimmjow might not take it lying down and Nnoitra had apparently developed some sort of over night obsession with the berry but their dearest "uncle" had a plan and not even those two idiots were foolish enough to challenge Gin-

As for Halibel and Nel?

If the duo had a proper female role model none of this would have ever happened.

The closest they'd come is their other 'brother' Ulquiorra but really being born a hermaphrodite didn't exactly make him a female per se.

Starrk was just glad that Lilinette didn't have get to caught up in all this lying and deceiving and mind games-he made it so his lil' sis only knew what he felt was necessary for her to know-

Then there was Hinamori-he tried to get the girl to open up to him a time or two but she was a tough nut to crack and frankly the attempts he had made were exhausting so he eventually gave up.

Worrying and stressing over his moronic siblings was not how the Coyote wished to spend the winter season-if he couldn't sleep his days and nights away then he'd at least like to spend some 'fun fun time' with the good doctor.

Once it happened (and it would damn well happen if he had anything say-which he would) Ishida Ryuken would be his single greatest conquest to date.

Just a little more and the good doctor would cave-

Starrk let out a sigh as he fondled the stolen tie between his fingertips and then rather reluctantly placed it back into his pocket.

He couldn't waste time daydreaming he had to go inside and stop Grimmjow and Nnoitra from killing one another.

With a lazy yawn he unlocked the door and exited the vehicle.

()()

(Aizen)

The Kurosaki's weren't fans of airing their personal lives out to the public-not to mention it was quarter past 4 in the morning-

()()()

Behind a great man lies an even greater woman with the fierce intensity to protect what matters most to her.

Despite only having lived 29 years and counting Aizen Sousuke had truly believed that he understood the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son but Kurosaki Masaki redefined the meaning.

After inviting Aizen inside their private suite the woman began to hound him with questions/accusations starting with the basics

"Who are you? Why have you come here? How did you know where to find us? I think I might have seen your face somewhere before-what district are you from? And who the hell knocks on someone's door at such an ungodly hour-wait don't answer that!" A smirk, which could almost be considered intimidating "We'll let the lie detector tell us."

"Honey, I don't think that's nece-

"Quiet Isshin! You're much too trusting of men with shiny hair and fancy business suits-its no wonder Jiro pulled a fast one on you that time and you wound up having to date a lone shark to make up for the difference." (2)

"Masaki, my sweet angel you have to understand that even as I reached the highest peak of pleasure at that time and even when I was being subjected to be-

"I don't care to hear you reminiscing about your sexual exploits from your youthful days-go make yourself useful and make a fresh pot of coffee." Eyes narrowed "_I _will find out who our visitor is."

()()

The woman's eyes held the same kind of fierce intensity as Ichigo-kun. Her hair was long, wavy and the colors of autumn.

She was dressed casually but with a certain flair that would make her stand out in a large crowd. Her voice was soft, melodic ideal for lullabies or choirs. Her posture was relaxed but not slouched.

She was the kind of woman who would age gracefully.

"So you wish to court my son, is that correct Aizen Sousuke?"

Aizen ignored the device that the woman had strapped him to and answered truthfully "I have already begun to court Ichigo-kun and I will continue with or without your blessing."

Her eyes narrowed but she did not comment only moved forward with the next question "Ichigo is a college boy, why are you, a grown man of 30 years, interested in him?"

"29," Aizen corrected finding it amusing when the woman's left brow twitched.

"29 years then, now answer the question!"

He couldn't simply respond with the cliché I fell in love, I've never felt this way before, I don't know its difficult to explain, I was drawn to him right from the start'

"He holds the missing half."

A raised brow "The missing half of what, Aizen Sousuke?"

Just as Aizen had refused to tell his mother he refused to tell Masaki and simply settled on "He is quite unlike any other person I've ever come across. I find myself intrigued."

The woman did not give any hint or sign as to how she felt about his answer just fired off the next question-

"So even if I do not give you my blessing to date my son you will still date him anyway, is that correct?"

Was it really necessary for her to repeat herself?

How annoying!

"Yes. Nothing will stop me from obtaining what is mine."

"Let's get one thing straight: My son is not some _thing_-some possession or trophy! He does not belong to anyone-if he should choose to return your feelings then that will be his decision and his decision alone. But do not think for one second that you will control Ichigo!"

"I do not wish to control him Masaki-san, I wish to make Ichigo-kun my bride."

()()()

(HInamori)

Hinamori couldn't believe her rotten luck!

Now because of the stupid strawberry whore and his blonde minion she wasn't going to get her crimson parade-wasn't going to get her dream wedding-wasn't going to experience the most amazing sex of her life-because of these two-because of these two she'd probably never see her beloved Aizen-sama again.

She'd wander the road between life and after life for the rest of her non-existence hoping-dreaming of moment she would cross paths-be reunited once more with her Aizen-sama.

"Take my hand!"

Take the hand of the she-devil himself? He must really think she was a fuckin' idiot!

Wait! Were those tears in the corner of his eyes?

No! It was a trick-he didn't care what happened to her-

"Grab my hand, Hinamori!"

Why? Why was he telling her to take his hand? So he could rip it off and present it as a trophy-an offering when he returned to the underworld?

"Please take my hand?"

Was that desperation she was hearing in his voice now? No-it was another trick-the lil' bastard was just making her think-

"You dumb bitch hurry up and grab Ichigo's hand I'm not gonna hold this damn rope forever!"

Rope? Wait! The blonde minion was helping her-even though the stupid skank is the reason Hinamori was clinging to her life in the first place.

Lies-all lies-they were just mocking her-the moment she reached out they would laugh and kick her and she would tumble down, down, down-severing her spinal cord-the pain would be too much to bare-her last vision would be of Aizen-sama's gentle smile and then silence.

()()

(Hiyori)

It just didn't make any damn sense to Hiyori.

Why the hell was the berry risking his own damn life in order to help some crazy twat out?

"Ichigo this is pointless-she's not gonna t-

"We have to try Hiyori I'm not going to let an innocent girl die just because of a misunderstanding-we'll bring her back to the cabin-tell her why I'm out here with you and then-

"Innocent? Innocent? Are you out of your fucking mind? Or are you having some kind of delayed reaction from that blow you took to the head-there ain't nothin' innocent about that _thing_ down there!"

The orange haired youth shook his head "You don't have to understand Hiyori-just don't let go of the rope."

Hiyori rolled her eyes and snorted "I'm not gonna do anything of the s-ahhhh!"

THE FUCK?

"Hiyori?"

"Hiyori?"

"HIYORI!"

Alright what ever or whoever had the nerve to crash into her just now-tackle her to the ground was going to die a slow and painful death-

Once Hiyori managed to get out from under the bastard-that is-

Hiyori was finding it difficult to breathe right now-the sudden impact-the blow to her back-hurt like a son of a bitch and even though it had winded her-she hadn't lost her grip on the rope-rather she tightened it on instinct-

()()()

(Kenpachi)

"So you want to date Ichi-nii?"

"We're already dating."

Not exactly true but the moment Kenpachi found out just where Ichigo had been dragged off too he was going to make it official.

He already made up his mind-the moment Ikkaku and Yumichika called him back and recited the coordinates of Viso Kenpachi would walk out the door and not return until he had his orange berry in his arms.

At the moment he was sitting in the living room with Ichigo's two younger sisters. The one with the dark hair, Karin, had Ichigo's glower while the one with the light hair, Yuzu, had the youth's smile.

Karin was doing her own form of interrogation while Yuzu whipped up a late night snack and pulled out family photo albums.

Not that Kenpachi would admit it out loud because it would totally deface his manly image but he was excited about what Ichigo looked like when he was a scrawny runt.

()()

(Hiyori)

His eyes reminded her of little ice crystals-his hair was whiter than the snow on the ground-the stern look on his face seemed better suited for an old man.

"Hiyori? Answer me!"

Oh that's right Ichigo was still calling her-

Hiyori wanted to answer the berry but now that she had this little snowflake bastard pinned she wasn't going to let him out of her sight-

"Who the hell are you?"

His voice was as cold as the frost on the windows back at the lodge "What do you intend to do with Hinamori?"

Do? Was this guy fuckin' serious.

Hiyori's brief fascination with the little bastard quickly flew out the window when he asked such a stupid question. "We're trying to save her you damn idiot-what the hell is your reason for being out here?"

""Hiyori?"

Hiyori let out a growl-Ichigo sounded kind of really fucking annoying with the way he kept calling her name-

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine-did you grab her yet or not?"

"I got her but she uh-I think she fainted or something."

"Fainted? What the hell does he mean Hinamori fainted-tell him to bring her up now!"

Hiyori let out a sigh-vowing to take a long vacation when all this drama with the berry face and co came to a close.

()()

(Nnoitra)

It wasn't really in Nnoitra's nature to compromise but he supposed if he had to share his pet with anyone who better than Grimmjow?

Now all he had to do was get the blue-haired male to agree.

"Oi pussy cat when you're done stuffing your face with my food I have something I'd like to discuss with ya."

Mouthful of food Grimmjow responded by flipping the bird at the dark haired male.

Nnoitra's unscarred eye twitched "Listen Grimm I'm not askin' ya I'm tellin' ya I have somethin' to say to ya and you will listen!"

Grimmjow swallowed his food. "So talk."

"I feel kind of guilty."

Grimmjow snorted "What are you making some type of confession and asking for forgiveness now denture face?"

Nnoitra's grin vanished.

He may not have perfect canines like the pussy cat but his teeth had never been nor would they ever be fucking dentures!

"You're on thin ice so just shut ya yap and listen!"

"You keep flapping your gums but I hear is blah blah bullshit bullshit."

"It's about Ichi-pet."

Electric blues flashed, "It's Ichigo or brat, there is no Ichi-pet dumb ass."

"Pet, brat, it's a love name-same damn difference."

"_Love?"_ A sneer "You wouldn't know how to love even if it came up and bit you in the ass, Jiruga!"

A shrug, "Doesn't matter my pet will teach me what I need to know after I teach him what he needs to know-it's a win-win."

"Not if I can help it," A fist met the end of the table "KUROSAKI IS MINE-HAS ALWAYS BEEN MINE-WILL ALWAYS BE MINE!"

"Really? Then why aren't you with him right now? Why did Neliel tell me that you were cryin' into ya pillow the night my pet rejected you?"

"He didn't fucking reject me! I tease Kurosaki and he calls he me an asshole-its how we communicate."

"Exactly. It's foreplay-same damn thing I did with my pet."

When Grimmow's electric blues narrowed Nnoitra considered retracting his statement but if he did it would be like admitting defeat- "Different method, same result-that's all I'm sayiin' no need to get ya fur all ruffled pussy cat."

"You can spin it anyway you like-doesn't change facts and the fact is: YOU ATTACKED HIM! Attacked from behind which makes you nothin' more than a FUCKING coward!" 

Nnoitra flinched-when Grimmjow put it that way it sounded really-erm not good.

"Okay so I got a bit carried away."

"A bit? Neliel told me you left a fuckin' gash the size of a golf ball in his head!"

Damn Neliel and her damn embellishments!

"Really and did Neliel also tell ya that I held Ichi while he was bleeding and emptying his guts out all over the backseat? Did she tell ya that my pet purred for me-placed his head in my lap-did she hell ya that _**unh**_?"

Okay so now he was embellishing at bit too but Grimmjow didn't have to know that.

He needed the bastard to understand.

A snort "I don't fucking care! Kurosaki was probably delirious or somethin'-bet he thought it was me-poor bastard was most likely dreamin' that I was comin' to his rescue-wouldn't be the first time-he dreams of me often ya know? Starrk even said so-heard the brat mumble in his sleep many times," a triumphant grin "Even let me blow him with out protest in the movie theatre and if I hadn't been so fuckin' pushy I guarantee he woulda let me fuck his pretty lil' ass with my tongue that night-it was snowin' and he forgot his coat and snuggled so damn close to me I could sm-

"And yet some how he wound up giving head to "father" less than 24 hours later-

A plate went flying through the air-hitting the wall-missing Nnoitra's head by just a fraction of an inch-the kitten was positively seething now

'_Time to bring it home.'_

"You're nothin' but a lil' lyin' bastard, Jiruga!" A growl which was positively feline.

Nnoitra's grin widened "Nah-much as it pains me to say-specially to a bastard like ya but Aizen is one step ahead of us and according to one of my blue birds there's a baby and a weddin' proposal on the way."

"BULLSHIT! Where the-who the hell told you this?"

"I have my sources just as you have yours pussy cat."

Another plate went flying!

()()

(Ichigo)

He was saving Sousuke's daughter so by default it meant that he should be with Sousuke-possibly? Maybe?

Ichigo had no way of really knowing if this was true but the more he thought about it the more it seemed to click.

But what was he going to do about Kenpachi? He couldn't just walk away from the man without a proper explanation-nor could he shut off his attraction for the man-at the very least he owed Kenpachi a date-

Well he owed the wild haired male a lot more than that but-

Alright his original plan…run with that-

Right his original plan had been to cook Kenpachi dinner and then uh take things to the next level-it was supposed to be simplistic yet romantic-falling into the man's arms was supposed to feel natural-rather than being pressured into it Ichigo was going to take the initiative-

But now as he played his fantasy/plan out in his head it morphed in to…

_**What could be more fitting then a bearskin rug?**_

_**There's was something positively primal, positively dirty, positively Kenpachi about this new image playing out in Ichigo's mind.**_

_**The dinner, which he had spent several hours preparing, remained untouched because both Ichigo and Kenpachi were far more interested in touching one another.**_

_**()()**_

_**Only split seconds away from the main event and Ichigo found himself pulling away-backing away-lowering his head because something in his mind was shouting-ROARING-betrayal, betrayal, betrayal-**_

_**And he knew in his heart if he went through with it-gave himself entirely to Kenpachi he would ruin his chance at true happiness-**_

_**But how the hell was he supposed to explain this to Kenpachi-he was a writhing, dripping, heated mess-the man-this man had made him this way-he had given all signs-made all the sounds-signals that he wanted more-needed more-practically begged Kenpachi to take him and now now because his stupid brain-his conscience won't shut the fuck up he's scrambling in search of his clothes-**_

_**()**_

_**But Ichigo soon finds that all actions come with consequences and he cannot tempt a beast and not deliver!**_

_**Paying little attention to his screaming or his crying (yes he's an emotional wreck so he's fucking crying by now) begging the man to let him go-it was a mistake-it wasn't his intention to lead Kenpachi on for this long but-**_

_**Kenpachi does not care to hear-now the man really isn't much a man at all-his image is morphing-and Ichigo is scraping, scrambling for the door at the end of the hall way but its useless-**_

_**()()**_

_**The hallway-the door-his exit-his escape from the now deranged and lust-driven giant seems impossible-**_

_**And Ichigo feels so incredibly pathetic-this is a lot more than letting his wild imagination get the best of him-he's so fucking horrified he might piss himself-and really there is nothing sexy about that at all-**_

_**How could things have gone so wrong-is this a sign-a message-is this**_

_**()()**_

"_**Fe Fi Fo Fum I smell the blood of a virgin's-**_

_**Okay shut up brain! Just shut up do not even finish-**_

_**Ichigo is not a fucking damsel in distress and even if his Kenpachi-yes his Kenpachi has transformed into some savage beast of a giant it does not mean-**_

"_**I'm coming for you Ichigo." The guttural rasping growl that he has grown so fond of-it sounds tainted now-**_

_**Ichigo shuts his eyes-which is ridiculous because their already shut because he's dreaming-more like having a nightmare-why is he so fucking weird?**_

_**A high pitched whistle followed by..**_

_**()**_

_**The door-the very same door that the orange berry had been desperately trying to reach blew open-this time instead of riding a Harley and laughing like an insane villain, Sousuke was riding something a lot more believable.**_

_**A horse-a mustang to be exact-**_

_**The man's smooth baritone-**_

"_**What am I to do with you?"**_

_Had he been any one else-like a cute and bubbly 5'5 girl with hopes and dreams of her modern day Romeo Ichigo would have surely fallen into some sort of drunken swoon just then-falling before the man's feet babbling out of character nonsense like 'My King you have come'_

_To which the man would follow up with "Yes my future Queen I have come to slay the giant and win your hand in marriage."_

_**No instead Sousuke was wearing that infuriating smirk "Does something trouble you, Ichigo-kun?"**_

_**A snarling glare "What do you think bastard?"**_

_**The man, "his rescuer" tossed his head back and laughed "And even in the face of danger that temper and foul mouth of yours does not vanish, you really are quite something."**_

_**The giant is not far behind now-the heavy footfalls of his boots echo like drums-**_

_**Ichigo has never been the type to stand back and let another man fight his battles anyway-he reaches for the shiny blade tied at Aizen's waist and unsheathes it-wishing he had more of chance to look the weapon over-take time to fully admire the craftsman ship but he has a giant to-well not slay since even though the thing now closing in on him barely resembles Kenpachi-he can't bring himself to kill it especially since somewhere, deep down the good, the kind, the gentle still exists-**_

_**All Ichigo needs to do is wound the beast while Sousuke watches on in amusement.**_

_**An eye roll, really why exactly did he fall for such arrogant bastard again? **_

_**()()**_

_**Crimson streaks dripping from his arms, legs and chest-this damn sure is not your average fairy tale!**_

_**The good part is he's not limping-his pride will not allow him to do so-**_

_**And he will not turn away from the now unconscious giant-(Who needs a deadly weapon when a strong sleeping choke hold will suffice?) without a proper goodbye kiss because after all even if he may not have planned it that way-Kenpachi holds a piece of his heart and Ichigo can not and will not just leave things as they are even though he can feel Sousuke's dark eyes boring holes into him-jealousy coming off the man in waves**_

_**()()**_

"_**Why must you continuously try my patience, Ichigo-kun?"**_

_**For the most part Sousuke's tone is gentle-they have long since left the beanstalk-er house-and are on their way to the King's castle er uh mansion and all Ichigo wants to do is enjoy the scenery around them-all he wants to do is breathe the fresh air-move forward without looking back but the man is making it rather difficult-**_

_**And Ichigo supposes in a way that he really can not blame Aizen for his anger which is barely concealed at this point-he is rather surprised that the man did not strike him down for allowing him to get into such a predicament in the first place-**_

_**Underneath the surface of calm-beneath the many layers a torrent of emotions curl-wrap around-nearly suffocate him-**_

_**He concludes that this must be Sousuke's claim-Sousuke's stamp-he does not wish to become some sort of possession to the man but does he really have a right to protest at this point?**_

_**The answer is no.**_

_**Ichigo is as stubborn as he is fiercely outspoken-a fact that both annoys and amuses Sousuke at the same time-**_

_**If he made things simple-easy-there wouldn't be that call-that unseen force pulling them back to each other-**_

_**Ichigo can not deny that he is drawn to this man-the smooth baritone which makes him feel light headed-he acknowledges that perhaps he is tinsy bit like a foolish girl after all-this man excites and frightens him in an entirely different way-it is difficult to explain-difficult to define-**_

_**()()**_

_**Burying his face in Sousuke's freshly ironed shirt-inhaling the man's unique scent-**_

_**This man is his equal-his royal match with or with out the crown or jewels**_

_**A singular silver band adorned both their fingers-so marriage was the plan then was it?**_

_**He would put on the dress-hell he'd even put on the sparkly kitten heels but the veil-no fuckin' way was he going to wear some girly piece of lace across his face.**_

_**It was stupid. Aizen already knew who he was anyway**_

_**They would dance all night or at least until the orange-haired youth could no longer feel his feet.**_

_**Wait! Really? Ichigo wasn't much of a dancer and much like with the whole sex-life thing he did not desire doing something so intimate as press his body against another man's on the dance floor.**_

_**Sousuke would have to coax him out on to the dance floor-commanding Ichigo to move with those dark hypnotic eyes-**_

_**It should be a happy event filled with friends and family members a like but such bliss was not easily found-not when he still had his other suitors to take in to account-**_

_**Yes he could picture it now-the oblong face, the long black hair, the spindly body, high above on the chandelier (it was quite a mystery how it was able to support the man's weight) crouched in a low position, gun locked and loaded-Nnoitra-the-would-be-sniper**_

_**()**_

_**Blood would splatter before Ichigo could fully register what exactly had happened-**_

_**()**_

_**His body felt frozen as the stages of denial, sadness, anger followed-the man who had captured his heart, mind and soul was ripped away from him-now dying in his arms-**_

_**()**_

_**Getting a bit dramatic here-**_

_**Not to mention twisted bastard though Nnoitra might be Ichigo doubted he was a killer**_

_**Yes yes so a much more believable scenario-**_

_**He is out on the dancer floor when who should approach but Grimmjow-not caring for rules-or etiquette-the blue-haired male simply knocks Sousuke to the side with sheer brute force and before the berry can utter WTF the cocky bastard is dragging him off to his den-erm dorm room.**_

_**()()**_

_**The King does not go so far as to demand 'Off with Grimm's head' but his command is pretty close-**_

_**With Gin and Tousen-san's assist Sousuke pulls the blue-haired male away from his Queen and the three men lock him in a cage.**_

_**Ichigo-despite understanding that it is necessary to do something in order for his King to regain control over his domain does not approve of the lock' em up and throw away the key' method.**_

_**So while the man is distracted the berry frees Grimmjow from the cage-knowing in the back of his mind that he will probably be punished but again it must be said he is not some helpless damsel-he will take what ever punishment Sousuke gives him like a man!**_

_**()()**_

_**It was one thing to be locked down in a dungeon and chained to the wall-to be denied company, sunlight, food water, the basic necessities of life but to be naked as the day he was born and spread eagle-having no way to shield him self from the millions and millions of cameras planted in every crevice and corner of the wall-not cracked or faded because the "dungeon" wasn't a dungeon at all but a recently remodeled basement and Ichigo wasn't-**_

_**()()**_

"Oi Ichigo what's going on down there did you faint too?"

Sounded like Hiyori was calling him-

"Hinamori?"

He didn't recognize that voice.

What was going on-why did this happen every time? It was like he would completely ignore the fact that something serious was taking place and just go into one of his daydreams/or dream-horrors depending on how each one played out?

At this rate he'd probably wind up unconsciously jumping to his own death or something.

On the plus side he hadn't released his hold on the brown-eyed girl.

()()

The following day…

As much as Ichigo wished to sleep-as much as he needed to sleep he couldn't rest yet-not until Hinamori regained consciousness.

In the back of his mind he thought it would probably make more sense if Toshiro were the one watching over the girl but the snow-haired teen was currently down stairs calling-well Ichigo couldn't be entirely sure of who Toshiro was talking to but one of them was probably Sousuke.

He cringed-despite the difficulties the man might have with his daughter-she was still his daughter and the moment he heard of her condition-well Ichigo had a feeling that things could only get ugly from here on out.

So maybe he should save himself the trouble-the drama-the heartache and just end it right here right now-he should take the phone from Toshiro and speak to Sousuke himself-apologize to the man for causing trouble and then cut ties before the not-quite-relationship could become something deeper-

It seemed like it would be the easier route to take-Aizen was too complex-and the whole thing with his children-two of which-no more than two have been stalking Ichigo for a long time now-it was messy-it was twisted-it was just plain wrong-too much baggage.

What the hell had he been thinking?

What the hell had convinced him that he actually had a future with such a man?

"Whe-Where am I?"

Ichigo was pulled from his thoughts (something that was a routine)

It seemed the brown-eyed girl had finally come to-her voice was hoarse but her eyes were as sharp as ever-pale lips curled into a snarl "_YOU!"_

Ichigo no longer had the energy to flinch at her tone-he remained calm, unaffected, only moving to stand up. Yes because he had to go down stairs and tell Toshiro the good news-Hinamori was awake now.

"_**WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"**_

The sound of hurried footsteps-Hiyori came crashing through the door-the grin on her face vanishing almost instantly as she caught sight of the brown-eyed girl glaring daggers-

An eye roll-seemed the blonde fully intended to ignore the girl on the bed and just talk to him "Just thought I'd come up here and ask you-

He cut her off already knowing what she was going to ask. He had nothing against Kensei but didn't wish to witness his little polar Olympics or whatever-hell he could barely look the silver-blond in the face-much too embarrassed about what had transpired in the Jacuzzi.

In addition there were more important things to take care of

Tell Toshiro that Hinamori was awake

Talk to Aizen, Explain what happened and then Say Goodbye

Leave the Lodge and Go Back Home

Apologize to Kenpachi and reschedule the date for another time

Soul searching. His thoughts and emotions were too conflicted-back, forth, up, down. It was too damn much he needed to escape.

Ichigo nodded content that he had decided on at least this much.

"Hiyori can you do me a favor and watch Hinamori for me? I need to tell Toshiro that she's awake now."

The blonde's nose twitched-it didn't take a genius to know that the Hiyori did not wish to do anything of the sort but too damn bad because Ichigo didn't have the patience for petty bullshit right now!

"Forget about what happened on the mountain and just watch her while I go and get Toshiro okay?"

Hiyori grumbled something under her breath but took a seat in the chair resting against the wall.

"Thanks Hiyori!"

"Yeah, yeah hurry up and go do what ever it is you gotta do-I'm not gonna baby sit psycho bitch forever."

()()

(Hinamori)

Life was unfair. She did not understand why she was continuously denied a chance at happiness over and over again. Was she really such a horrible person?

Was she really headed down the same path as her dead mother?

Oh yes Hinamori knew-Aizen-sama didn't think she knew but she knew what had driven her late mother to the edge-knew that she did not truly share the same blood with father.

Knew that her mother hadn't been capable of truly loving the man.

One might question how could a new born baby possibly know and understand such things? Hinamori couldn't explain it if she tried-it was just the way things were-the way things had always been.

She felt a great deal of anger and bitterness towards the woman-wished the bitch was trapped in a never ending ring of hell fire-round and round like a circus loop.

Sometimes Hinamori believed that the woman had injected her with an unseen poison-believed that this very poison flowed through her blood stream-believed it to be the TRUE reason behind her obsession with Aizen-sama.

The bitch had made her this way-tainted not just her blood but her entire being-

But of course the brown-eyed girl would never dream of voicing such thoughts out loud.

"I don't suppose you're ready to tell me why you were trying to kill Ichigo?"

Hmph! Like she would explain her actions to the strawberry devil's blonde minion!

Brown eyes flashed with anger Hinamori noted that no matter how much she tried she could not move-she seemed to be strapped down to the bed-no not strapped down just tucked in very tightly-to the bed in the middle of nowhere-

She studied the room-no not nowhere-somewhere-most likely their secret hideout or something-

FUCKING PEACHY!

"You should know that what ever it is you were trying to achieve by hurting Ichigo-it'll blow up in your face in the end."

The blonde had the audacity to smirk down at her.

"Something wrong Hina-chan," smirk widened "That's what they call you back home isn't it? Hina-chan has been a bad girl and bad girls deserve to be punished."

This bitch!

The moment Hinamori freed herself she was going to kill the blonde minion and then she would race down the stairs and do what she had failed to do last night.

"You've been squirming around in that bed for a good 15 minutes now, shall I tell you why?"

She glared, wishing to decapitate the blonde.

"Aww too bad," here the minion snickered "I'm going to tell you anyway." The blonde moved off the chair and made her way towards the bed-she was twirling something shiny in between her fingers-

That was when Hinamori realized it was the gun-the bitch had taken her weapon and now planned to use it on her and there was nothing she could do.

"Ichigo is a good person-can not stand to have crimson stains belonging to the innocent on his hands," hazel eyes glittered "_I _on the other handcould end your pathetic little life right here and now and would not feel an ounce of guilt," She paused and kneeled on the bed-causing it to dip.

Hinamori frantically searched for some way-anyway to escape this hellish nightmare-

The blonde was almost on top of her now-twirling the gun in her hand faster and faster and then pointed it at her "One shot. One shot is all it would take because I grew up around guns, had one of the world's top shooters to instruct me and I _never _miss."

Cold metal touched her face and Hinamori willed herself not to flinch-willed herself not to scream-hell if she'd let some snaggle tooth intimidate her-

"You can have it back if you like-do you want it back _Hina-chan?"_

Now the blonde was mocking her-dangling the deadly weapon in front of her a face like a master would dangle food in front of a dog.

()()()

(Ichigo)

Not that Ichigo would admit it out loud but he was relieved when Toshiro announced that he was taking Hinamori back home.

Looking at the girl-especially her hateful brown eyes was just a painful reminder of what he had almost driven her to do-he had upset Hinamori and as a result nearly gotten them both killed in process-

He'd been baffled by her actions at first-could not understand what could have angered her that she would be forced to go to such an extreme to get him out of the picture.

He thought it had been a mixture of shock and jealousy but no it went beyond that.

The girl refused to let anyone get near her father-she was extremely possessive over the man.

It didn't matter if Ichigo sat down with Hinamori and tried to explain the situation to her-tell her that that he had no intention of taking her place-

"She's a complicated girl." Toshiro explained, "But she doesn't understand that she's hurting others. Hinamori isn't a bad person she's just a bit broken."

"Broken?"

"It is not her fault but the fault of others-far too often Hinamori is left alone. Her mother died before she even got to know the woman and Aizen is always gone for one reason or another. The ones who are supposed to be Hinamori's siblings are off living their own lives.

Even on the rare occasion such as the holidays when they come home for a visit not one of them acknowledges that she is there. And so Hinamori is left feeling like she doesn't matter-even the trees that rustle in the wind get more attention than she does.

They sent Hinamori away to school so she would receive the very best education from the some of the world's top instructors but there too she is cast out by her peers- a pause "It is much more complex than you can even begin to imagine, Kurosaki."

"I'd be glad to be Hinamori's friend."

Icicle blues widened for a moment before sliding close "It is not your problem, just leave well enough alone, back out while you can Kurosaki."

"Toshiro I-

"Hitsugaya will do, I am not your friend nor your family member, Kurosaki. Unintentionally you have added to Hinamori's distress and even though you seem like a decent person I will not turn my back on her by consorting with you."

"Consort-?"

"Take a number snowflake face-the berry has many admirers aiming for his heart-you're going to have to do better than that if you expect him to take notice."

Ichigo bit a growl-now was not the time for Hiyori's smart ass comments.

"Anyway I just thought I'd let you two know that Hina-chan has left the building."

"WHAT?"

The snow-haired boy glared at Ichigo as if to say 'stop copying' me which was ridiculous because he wasn't copying anyone. It was a perfectly natural reaction.

"Hiyori what do you mean she's left?"

"I mean I had to go and empty my bladder but I wasn't even gone for five minutes-

Toshiro flew out of the chair he had been occupying and raced up the stairs.

Ichigo was torn between lecturing the blonde and chasing after Toshiro.

"I doubt she went far-probably just out to get some fresh air or something."

()()

(Hinamori)

FLASHBACK

_**A few minutes prior…**_

_**The blonde minion was even dumber than Hinamori had originally thought-shortly after the bitch went to the bathroom-the brown-eyed girl rocked the bed back and forth, back and forth-it didn't feel like a sturdy mattress-probably wouldn't take much**_

_**()()**_

_**She ignored the pain as her body hit the floor and quickly scrambled to her feet. Not bothering to flip the mattress right side up again-**_

_**()()**_

_**Now that the gun was pretty much useless to her without bullets-it was time to move on to option 2-surely somewhere in this damn lodge there had to be a kitchen.**_

_**()**_

_**The employees at the lodge clearly weren't all that bright either. So it didn't take much to slip through the doors, which read 'staff members only' –the smell of breakfast sausages and biscuits was in the air which meant the kitchen couldn't be far.**_

()()

(Kenpachi)

Kenpachi knew something was different. Even as a teenager he never sweat as much as he was sweating right now. He felt restless-completely out of character.

Hell he hadn't even felt this way when he first proposed to his ex wife all those years ago.

And then it dawned on him-it wasn't just restlessness he was nervous-nervous about seeing Ichigo again?

No not nervous about seeing Ichigo but about how the berry would react.

The last thing Kenpachi ever wanted to do was crowd Ichigo-become some sort of annoyance-clingy-

Wait! Clingy?

Now he was just being overdramatic-

Shit he needed a drink.

Yumichika and Ikkaku were on their way, rather than giving him the coordinates to Ichigo's current location, the duo decided to come along for the ride.

Ikkaku wanted to see the berry who quote 'turned his former captain soft.'

Yumchika had a different reason for wanting to see Ichigo-the effeminate male wished to discuss floral arrangements for Yachiru's wedding-never mind that A) it was still several months away if Kenpachi gave his blessing that is and B) there was no guarantee that Ichigo would even agree to be his date.

Hell they hadn't even had an official first date yet.

()()

What the hell is this?" Kenpachi grunted in distaste as Yumichika presented a bottle of wine cooler to him.

Wine fucking cooler!

"I'm sorry Cap- at his glare the younger man corrected himself, "Kenpachi but I refuse to let you present yourself to the love of your life as a sloppy drunk."

If Kenpachi were the type of man to pout he would have done so just then-

All he wanted was some damn booze to take the edge off!

Was that really so much to ask?

Luckily somewhere up in heaven the angels decided to answer the man's wishes-in the form of Ikkaku to be exact-

Ignoring the deep frown of disapproval from his lover, the bald headed man held up an ice cooler with a grin "I figure you can drink some now and drink some later-its light beer so at the most you'll just be extra friendly when you see Ichigo."

Kenpachi slapped both of his friends on the backs. "That's more like it-alright let's head out!"

()()

(Rukia)

Rukia wiped the small tears from the corner of her silver blue eyes as she watched the wild haired man and his two companions drive off.

In the end she really liked Kenpachi-san almost as much as she liked Aizen-san.

This was a good thing, she decided, because if one man broke Ichigo's heart, the other would be there to pick up the pieces.

()()

(Ichigo)

He wasn't even aware of how big the lodge was until Hiyori dragged him to brunch. Toshiro dragging a reluctant Hinamori along at a much slower pace-the snow haired boy wanted to make sure the girl ate something to regain some of her energy and Ichigo had no objections with this.

Why should he?

After all Hinamori's behavior wasn't her fault.

()()

Ichigo never liked it when people made a big deal about holidays he didn't enjoy being showered with gifts especially when he didn't have any gifts to present in return.

"I can't accept all of this."

"Sure you can Ichigo. Just say thank you and smile for the camera."

"Camera?"

"Over here berry-tan!"

He hadn't even noticed when Mashiro and Kensei showed up. The woman with apple green hair was dressed in green and white snowsuit and wearing a Santa hat on her head and Kensei-was the man trying to tempt him?

Honestly why would he come to brunch without a shirt?

Ichigo swallowed hard noting how small droplets of water dripped off the man's silver-blond hair, neck and chest-

He averted his gaze not wishing to come off as an even bigger pervert then Kensei already thought he probably was.

He addressed Mashiro instead as he asked, "So did they win?"

The woman's voice was playful as she answered "Why don't you ask Kensei, he'll tell you allllll about it berry-tan."

"I heard him the first time Mashiro and in answer to your question Ichigo-I never lose."

"Oh uh well that's cool I mean-

"Why weren't you there?"

"Uh well I-

"Never mind, hurry up and open your presents I hate eating luke warm pancakes."

"That's no way to treat berry-tan Kensei-he's our guest of honor."

"That's right! Thanks to Ichigo's little show last night we're all guaranteed a trip to Europe this summer." Risa's aquamarine eyes twinkled behind her pink frames.

Ichigo fought down the blush and mentally cursed.

'_Damn I was hoping Hiyori was lying about that.'_

"You'll be there too won't you Ichigo? Europe is said to have some of the best nightclubs."

Ichigo hadn't even noticed Love until the man made his appearance known-Love was (as always) reading his manga and squeezing what looked like an unhealthy amount of honey into his oatmeal.

He felt the familiar pressure of someone putting an arm around him-didn't have to guess it was Shinji-the older blonds' blinding bright smile was always the first thing to notice. "Yes hot clubs and even hotter babes, you'll never want to leave Ichigo."

A Santa hat was placed on top of Ichigo's head and then Shinji was poking his cheek "Smile!"

When the orange haired youth only scowled Shinji kissed him

"What the hell Hirako?"

"Relax berry face, it was just a kiss on the cheek," Hiyori snorted in between mouthfuls of her raisin toast "The French do it all the time."

"Come on berry-tan just smile and we'll leave you alone."

"Yeah come on Ichigo, the camera loves you."

"Smile."

"Smile for the camera Ichi."

Ichigo sighed asking himself 'why me?' yet again. He looked to Kensei for help hoping the guy would help him out like before.

The silver-blond yanked the camera out from Mashiro's hand but rather than telling the group to 'knock it off' like before he-

"Let's all smile for the camera and get one of the staff members to snap the photo."

Well that actually didn't sound like such a bad idea.

"Fine."

"That's the spirit, okay now should it be age before beauty or beauty before age?"

()()

(Hinamori)

She couldn't really explain what suddenly had come over her-she still didn't like the strawberry but she no longer felt the extreme desire to maim or kill him-lowering the knife which she had previously intended on using Hinamori kicked her jealousy and anger to the side for the moment and just squeezed Shiro-chan as though he were an adorable puppy she never had and smiled for the camera

()

Not realizing that the flash of silver (brief as it had been) had not gone unnoticed by Shinji.

Seemed his sis was right they'd have to watch the brown-eyed girl carefully.

()()

(Ichigo)

A short while later…

Ichigo finally had some free time to himself he felt it was a good a time as any to really sort through and collect his thoughts-put them in some kind of order.

Starting with why the hell he had hung up on Sousuke after explaining the whole Hinamori situation…

FLASHBACK

_**The mans voice carried no trace of anger-on the contrary Aizen seemed happy to hear from him-expressed how he was looking forward to picking up right where they left off-**_

"_**You will join me for Christmas Eve, won't you Ichigo-kun?"**_

"_Well-_

"_**What would you like for Christmas?"**_

_**Ichigo felt his heart do that stupid pitter-patter thing that should only exist in shojo manga or chick flicks-his voice cracked as he replied, **__"I don't deserve anything-not after what happened."_

"_**Unless I misheard you earlier, Hinamori was the one with the gun not you, correct?"**_

"_Yeah but I-_

"_**Do not shed tears over something you had no control over, Ichigo-kun."**_

"_I'm not shedding tears!" Ichigo trailed off-hating that he had very little control over his emotions lately "I just-Ai-Soi-I this won't work-I'm not-we're not-not that I don't want to try but-I mean-_

"_**Breathe Ichigo-kun, there is no need to rush."**_

"_I-whose rushing? I'm just-_

"_**You need to stop blaming yourself when it was clearly Hinamori's fault."**_

"_But it's my fau-_

"_**No it is not."**_

_**Ichigo clenched and unclenched his fists-wishing to punch something-the wall seemed like a good place to start-**_

"_**What was that?"**_

_**Barely registering the trickle of blood now dripping down his knuckles, Ichigo forced himself to stop sounding so pathetic. **__"Its nothing. I just think the walls in this damn lodge are ugly and cheap."_

"_**You don't have to pretend for me. If I were there with you right now I would hold you in my arms and-**_

_**Ichigo couldn't listen to this-couldn't bare to hear Sousuke's sweet words-he didn't deserve to hear them not after-**_

"_You should hate me. You should be threatening to sue me or lock me up or something. I almost ki-your daughter could have died last night-surely you must be angry-disappointed-stressed-something!"_

"_**Hinamori Is stronger than her appearance might lead you to believe."**_

"_That doesn't change anything. I-I upset her and I-I can't be with you if your daughter hates me."_

"_**Can't or won't?"**_

"_You-you know what I mean-what the hell can I offer you anyway besides my ass I mean and even that's probably gonna lose its appeal after awhile."_

"_**This is not possible-even when I am old and wrinky I could never tire of your lovely posterior, Ichigo-kun."**_

_**Ichigo felt blood rush to his face "**__D-Don't say-why the hell do you have to-Stop I'm trying to be serious here and y-_

"_**So am I."**_

_**Ichigo groaned. "**__We can't be together. It doesn't-its doesn't make any sense. I'm 19, a 19 year old college kid who still sleeps with plushies for fuck sakes!"_

"_**Plushies? How unexpected."**_

"_Shut up! I didn't mean to sa-arrgg__** (he could hear the man chuckling on the other end and despite himself his cheeks became even warmer **__"Sousuke please don't make this any harder-_

"_**Mmm hard yes I am reaching that point."**_

_**What? What? What?**_

_**Aizen had to be joking there was no way he could be-**_

"_**I can almost feel it now-your sweet sinful little mouth wrapped around my hardened flesh-you should be proud of yourself-with the exception of our afternoon together there has never been another p-**_

"_STOP!"_

_**Why did Sousuke's voice have to be so damn-?  
**_

"_**Are you getting excited as well? Should we come together, Ichigo-kun?"**_

More than ever Ichigo wished to do just that-it would be all too easy slip his hands into the waistband of his briefs-get lost in the erotic sounds of the man's breathing-the man's deep hypnotic voice, his entire body was heated up just by the suggestion alone.

BUT NO!

He could not let it happen! Refused to let it happen. He could not let this man bring him to that great white paradise for a third time when he knew that he had to call it off right here-right now.

He wasn't good for Sousuke. Didn't deserve Sousuke. Never should have contacted the man again-never should have

_**A deep chuckle**_

"_**Don't black out on me now me-we haven't even begun."**_

Quite against his will-as if under command (and considering what he had experienced before it might not too far off of a guess) Ichigo's fingers moved underneath his thin t-shirt and tweaked one of his nipples-using his other hand to muffle a moan as the sensitive nub hardened almost instantly

_**That's it King, forget all about ya troubles and let Sousuke-sama take care of ya!**_

His 'hollow' brought Ichigo back to his senses-he pulled his hand out and glared at it as though it were the cause for all his troubles-

"_**Don't stop I wish to hear your sweet sounds-remember that heat-focus on-**_

NO! NO ABSOLUTELY NOT!

"_I can't-this isn't right."_

Damn it why couldn't the man understand?

He could hear sighing on the other end. "_**What's wrong Ichigo-kun? You were doing so well the last time we-**_

"_This isn't like last time-please just (fuck why was his voice breaking-damn it all to hell)- "Sousuke you have to forget about me-I'll bring nothing but drama in your life-please just-_

"_**What is life with out a little drama?"**_

Bastard. Enough with the damn-

"_Why are you-you don't even know me!"_

"_**But I feel like I do-don't you understand Ichigo-kun?"**_

"_Understand what? What exactly am I supposed to understand?"_

"_**You are the missing half."**_

Orange brows furrowed. The missing half of what? Why on top of everything else was the bastard speaking in riddles?

He had to hang up. NOW!

"_What the fuck are you talking about? What missing half? I'm nothing-no one-why are you wasting your time and energy on someone like me when you can just as easily find-_

"_**This is true but I don't want just anyone. I want you and only you."**_

Ichigo was long passed the point of being nervous-of feeling uneasy-flushed-practically breathless-well past the point of feeling like he would black out-collapse-

He sat down on the bed-hoping to stop the spinning-the burning-the-

He had to think fast. DO something. Say something. Get Sousuke pissed-so pissed that he'd finally hang up-get the man to forget all about him-he had to-

"_You asked me before if I was seeing anyone else remember?"_

Yes this was the direction to take-it was the only way to-

"_**Yes I remember."**_

He couldn't be absolutely positive with out seeing Aizen's face but he could almost detect a trace of irritation in the man's tone-good run with that-this is the way to-

"_**Well I slept with him. Several times and I think I might-**_

Could he really bring himself to lie-this wasn't just a little white lie but a full-blown lie-

'_**Don't do it King!'**_

'_Shut up Shirosaki! This is the only way!'_

"_**Yes Ichigo-kun?"**_

The man's tone was even-no trace of annoyance or jealousy-no sense of betrayal detected-

"_Uh well he asked me to move in with him and I agreed so there you're just wasting your time with me because I-I already have some one and uh he never lets me wash the bed sheets because he-_

'_**Shut up ya damn idiot ya are so gonna ruin everythin'-**_

'_I DON'T CARE!'_

He was lying of course-he did care-the more and more lies spilled from his lips the more disgusted with himself Ichigo became-

"_Anyway Sousuke I did have fun and I'm sorry that I lead you on for so long but eh what can I say you were a nice distraction."_

He forced himself to laugh as though he really were some slutty tease who didn't give a shit about fucking around with another's emotions-

"_You were rather dare I say cute in your bathrobe that day-I thought about keeping it after you let me wear it but my lover gets extremely jealous and let's just say billionaire or not-your money won't save you from his wrath."_

"_**Is that all?"**_

Er? What? That wasn't the reaction he was expecting from Sousuke. Ichigo forced himself to continue on with his little act-

"_Well I mean if its phone sex you're looking for Sousuke I suppose we can work something out-I can pencil you in for 5:00pm next Sunday-he'll be out drinking with his buddies."_

"_**Sunday you say?"**_

Why hell was Sousuke still talking to him?

"_Yeah Sunday."_

"_**Are you hanging up now Ichigo-kun?"**_

"_Well I could unless you wanna chat a bit more-tell me what you're wearing or something."_

"_**You wish to know what I'm wearing at the moment?"**_

Ichigo felt his little role as the nonchalant prick cracking-why couldn't the man just hang the hell up already-

"_Yeah, it'll make for good jacking off material-my lover doesn't get home til late so-_

"_**I see but before I answer your question am I allowed to ask one of my own?"**_

This was it! Finally Aizen was going to demand to know why he had tricked him-why he had manipulated him-why he had wasted his time-Ichigo readied himself for the backlash-

"_Go ahead, got nothing to hide."_

"_**Next time you decide to role play you should really tell me in advance. I have some fun little costumes that I'd love to see on you-it will add to the overall affect."**_

_**Errr what the fuck? Was the man purring now? What the hell-?**_

"_You-!"_

A chuckle _"__**I have lived for many years Ichigo-kun and I have seen and heard it all-You could have just announced that you slept with my entire staff and it would not change how much I want you."**_

"_You still want me?"_

Why was he asking this question? Why did his voice sound so damn hopeful?

FUCK WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

_I was this close-this fucking close-how could he have-he couldn't possibly._

"_**I do."**_

"_But why?"_

"_**I have already answered this question. If you wish to know more you will bring your self to the mansion on Christmas Eve."**_

"_What the hell? I just told you that I-I'm taken-I'm with someone else."_

"_**Indeed you did just tell me that but we both know that you were also lying. As to the reason of why you were lying well that I am not quite sure of yet-however it matters not. Nothing has changed I desire to have you and I **__**will**__** have you."**_

Sousuke couldn't be serious-he couldn't be-even after all-

"_You don't know what you're talking about."_

"_**I most certainly do know what I am talking about, Ichigo-kun."**_

Enough! This ends now.

Ichigo felt like ripping his hair out. What was this man trying to do to him? Couldn't he just hang up already-let it go?

"_**And if you are still having doubts then I will put those doubts to rest."**_

Gnawing on his bottom lip Ichigo did his best to forever engrave Aizen's smooth and sexy baritone in his mind

It wasn't fair. Sousuke was making this incredibly difficult-damn near impossible-

His first few attempts had failed-but this time-this time he would-

"_I don't love you." _

_Dear God why did that one word have to hurt so damn much?_

"_I'll never love you-hell I don't even like you so please just leave me alone Aizen!"_

He couldn't wait around to hear the man's response-Ichigo hurled the phone all the way on the other side of the room-which wasn't all that far but it would have to do.

It was too much. The man had been asking too much of him. Way too much…he couldn't-he had only just begun to experience feelings outside of friendship-he couldn't-he wouldn't-

Now more than ever he wished to run-to flee-to go to a place where Aizen Sousuke didn't exist-now more than ever he wished to-

()()

_**FLASH END**_

There was a knock on the door pulling the orange haired youth back to the present moment

"Yo berry-face Kenpachi's waiting for you in the main lodge-so stop doing what ever it is your doing in there and come on out."

Kenpachi was here?

FUCK! He didn't know if he had the energy to see the wild-haired man right now.

"Oi Ichigo did you hear me?"

Ichigo slapped his cheeks.

_Get it together dumb ass-you owe Kenpachi remember?_

"Yeah alright I'll be there soon, Hiyori."

()()

(Aizen)

Masaki hadn't exactly given him the blessing he had been hoping for-instead the woman had issued a trial run of sorts by way of inviting him to her house for dinner with close family and friends.

The rules were quite simple: He had to capture Ichigo-kun's attention without laying a single finger on him. If he passed then they would move on to the next stage-

Isshin had issued the next challenge: If Aizen could out drink the boy's aunt Kukaku without getting sick he would be issued an 'exclusive' pass to a private office party-

Which didn't hold all that much appeal to Sousuke until the bearded man added

'_You'll get a chance to see my son in a costume.'_

Costume.

Aizen would not soon forget the Greek goddess costume in the magazine-nor would he forget the adorable rabbit costume when Ichigo-kun and his friends trespassed on his property.

Both costumes had show-cased the youth's beauty in two entirely different ways.

So to see Ichigo-kun in another costume-as if he could let such an opportunity pass him by-

Considering it was the holiday season he imagined the boy would probably be dressed as an elf or an angel-a bit cliché but entertaining all the same.

Rudely ripped from his thoughts of boy when there came loud pounding at the door of his private bedroom-

Before Aizen had the chance to even ask what was going on or who dared to disrupt him the doors were ripped off their hinges-

The police had come to place him under arrest and bring him in for questioning down at the station –

_**()()**_

_**They had reason to believe that he had physically assaulted poor sweet Hinamori-kun and as a result the girl now had large red welts on both of her forearms**_

_**()()**_

_**A quiet evening at home between father and daughter-so the girl's story went-they were sitting in front of the cozy little fire place in the upstairs library-sweet, innocent, adorable Hinamori-kun was resting her head in his lap-enjoying the serene moment. **_

_**Eyes bright, the girl lifted her head off the man's lap and asked "Do you love me father?"**_

_**He went ballistic at these words-this perfectly normal question set off something-triggered the darkness that lie just beneath his carefully structured surface-**_

_**He took hold of Hinamori-shook her violently, ignored her whines of protest and pinned the helpless, frightened, confused girl beneath him-squeezing her wrists so hard-rendering her unable to move.**_

_**That right there should have been the first tip off that something was screwy-something did not add up-they said she had welts on both of her forearms but then the next minute they claimed that he bruised her wrists.**_

_**Hinamori had fabricated quite the story and the second time she told it-it became even more preposterous!**_

_**()()**_

_**She came to him in the middle of the night-entering his bed chambers just as she had always done-simply wanting to wish her father sweet dreams-he back handed her across the face-called her a wretch-a fool-deemed her unworthy of being in his presence **_

'_**Pack your things-you are no longer welcome here.'**_

_**Eyes wide, holding her stinging cheek 'But why father? I thought you loved me.'**_

'_**Love?' His tone was bitter-mocking 'Who could love something like you'**_

_**Not letting her get another word out the man reached for her-pulled the girl by the hair (which had magically grown over night) out the door and down the stairs-her tiny, frail body met the hard stone steps-**_

_**Right unless a little demon snuck in the mansion in the middle of the night it was highly unlikely-all of the floors in the mansion were heavily carpeted-**_

_**Error number 2!**_

_**()()**_

_**She was kicking and screaming-crying out for help-slipping in and out of consciousness because she had several bumps on her head by now-he opened the door and who should he find but the mysterious college boy smirking at the pair of them-**_

_**This said boy had a mean look in his eyes-the very same college boy who had seduced and brainwashed him was responsible for the Aizen's sudden abuse towards his beautiful, kind, caring daughter, this boy-a devil in disguise was ripping their family apart-**_

_**Really now this one didn't even make sense-as if he a master of illusion and mind manipulation could be tricked by an amateur-**_

_**()()**_

_**Her story continued to change-alter**_

_**Suddenly it was…**_

_**Dearest Uncle Kisuke showed up in the nick of time-right before Aizen-sama threw poor Hinamori-kun off the balcony-**_

_**The next time around it was both Yoruichi and Kisuke dropping by with Hinamori's late birthday gifts when they heard a commotion coming from the upstairs-a scream-a blood curdling scream-Hina-chan!**_

_**He had pulled the girl's sleeve back and placed a hot iron against her bare flesh-grinning manically as she screamed-and through it all the devil incarnate laughed-watching on and while all of this was taking place classical music echoed from the load speakers**_

_**()()**_

Aizen had received the call when the police authorities left the room in order to go on their coffee or donut break or pick their nose or do what ever idiots who tended to abuse their power chose to do during their free time.

Ichigo-kun was very upset-apologizing profusely-announcing that he would call their "not-quite-relationship" off right then and there-

Sousuke saw red!

Hinamori had always been destined to head down the path of sheer insanity but this was beyond insanity.

He was left with no other option-not only had the girl fabricated stories-made up lies about him-attempted to damage his good name/character but she had also attempted to kill his future bride-made the boy second doubt himself-

Something would have to be done. He could not let the foolish child slide this time-would not let her continue to walk away scot-free

Just as soon as he was released from this damn station-that is

()()

(Ichigo)

It was kind of weird to see Kenpachi again.

And not that Ichigo would voice his next thought out loud but he was kind of glad that Yumichika and Ikkaku apparently decided to tag along because as of right now Ichigo wasn't so sure he wanted to be alone with Kenpachi.

Not that he wasn't still attracted to the man but there was something different about the wild haired man today-Ichigo couldn't quite put his finger on what that was.

()()

(Kenpachi)

Something was off-way off. Kenpachi didn't like it one bit. "Ikkaku, Yumichika clear off for awhile I want to talk to Ichigo alone," His tone was gruff even more so then it was naturally.

His companions didn't budge an inch-on top of which Yumichika was now looking at him weird

'_Why the hell is he looking at me like that?'_

Kenpachi's previously good mood was fast disappearing "Get lost I said I want to talk to Ichigo."

The effeminate man jumped and after a few minutes let Ikkaku escort him away.

Still giving their former captain a strange look before disappearing around the corner.

Kenpachi felt confused and it was starting to piss him off.

He turned his attention back to Ichigo. And it finally dawned on him the berry was right here but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"Ichigo!"

When Kenpachi didn't receive an immediate answer he grabbed the orange-haired youth and dragged him up the stairs-hell if he come all this way just to be ignored.

()()

Away from prying eyes Kenpachi grabbed Ichigo's chin, forcing him to look up-he didn't like the dark shadow that seemed to be clouding normally bright brown eyes.

He decided to wipe away such a dead look away and mindful of the youth's injuries (minor scrapes and bruises) Kenpachi attacked Ichigo's mouth.

Ichigo hadn't even given him a proper greeting and Kenpachi refused to let it slide. He wanted Ichigo to be his Ichigo-the one who moaned for him-the one who curled and wound his delicate but strong body around him-wanted to feel Ichigo fisting and pulling his thick black hair-wanted to hear the youth inhale sharply and breathe out softly-the Ichigo who acted like he was alive and loved it!

"Kenpachi stop!"

Well that was a little better but still not enough.

Kenpachi used the youth's protest to attack his mouth even more-using his larger body to shove the youth up against the door frame-not releasing his hold on Ichigo for even a minute.

His berry was wearing way too much damn clothes for Kenpachi's liking right now.

()

Pressing his body closer Kenpachi reached around to grab his favorite part about the youth-Ichigo's perfect ass-squeezing the delicious globes with his large meaty hands-giving the berry no other choice but to wrap his legs around his waist-

Developed a grinding motion-slow grind which was the polar opposite of Kenpachi's tongue which was now lashing at Ichigo's mouth like a whip-adding a few love bites in for good measure-

But the orange haired youth wasn't giving as good as he was getting.

Ichigo wasn't nearly responsive enough-Kenpachi wouldn't go so far as to say his berry was like a limp doll but pretty close to it-

He finally released the hold he had on Ichigo's mouth in order to question the unusual behavior "What the hell is wrong with you Ichigo? This isn't like you."

()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo shut his eyes to Kenpachi's accusations. Guilt crept up in him like a rotten apple-he waited a few minutes before meeting the man's gaze again "Sorry I just have a lot on my mind."

Kenpachi frowned and gave his ass an extra hard squeeze-not bothering to conceal the heated lust in both his gray-green eyes and in that crazy grin "The only thing you should be thinking about is this-_**us**_-you might think I'm an asshole for manhandling you like this but I'm not going to apologize Ichigo."

He wasn't looking for an apology. He wasn't looking for-

"Kenpachi I-

"I know you want this Ichigo-I know you want me-If I stuck my hand down your pants right now and squeezed you'd come for me wouldn't you?"

Yes he probably would come-come hard-come fast-in rapid gushes over and over-even if his mind wasn't in it-even if his soul wasn't in it-even if his whole heart wasn't in it-his body would not deny that Kenpachi was still one hell of a sexy ass beast-

But it wouldn't be fair-he couldn't betray the second man he cared about-certainly not in the same day. Could not lead Kenpachi on when a part of his soul was-

()()

(Kenpachi)

Why was Ichigo still looking at him in that way?

Why the hell was his berry looking at him with such eyes?

Such a pained expression did not belong on the orange haired youth's face. Kenpachi wanted to wipe that expression off Ichigo's face once and for all!

And so without further warning he made good on his promise, un snapped the button on the youth's pants, pulled the fly down and grinned at the all too noticeable wet spot on Ichigo's canary yellow briefs. He pressed against semi-erect flesh with the pad of his thumb.

"Don't Kenpachi!"

"You keep saying that Ichigo," If the man could push the berry even further into the door frame the youth would probably get permanently stuck that way-as it was he just wound up scraping up Ichigo's backside-if the way the kid was now snarling and hissing was anything to go by. But Kenpachi wasn't going to stop "You're already wet for me."

Ichigo turned his face to the side-face a delicious shade of red-it was both cute and annoying to see his berry acting so shy and unsure of himself.

Even before when Ichigo wasn't familiar with fondling and petting, the kid was very vocal-

But as of right now-

"Ichigo stop acting like a frigid bitch and-

"I'm not a bitch!"

A grunt "What's your excuse then?"

"I told you I had a lot on my mind. Stop taking things so personally!"

Another grunt and Kenpachi slipped his hand inside the briefs, loving the way the half hard flesh practically jumped at him- "Your dicks got the right idea now all ya gotta do is get your brain to join in, Ichigo." With these words he started grinding his body against the youth again. "I know you had a rough couple of days but you owe me."

Normally Kenpachi wouldn't resort to laying the guilt trip on others but he was beyond irritated at this point- "Speak Ichigo! You had a nice little dinner you were planning for me remember? And then for dessert you were gonna walk around wearing nothing but my apron and then let me fuck you on the sofa-the same sofa you've fallen asleep on so many times- he let his hand do the rest of the talking for him-sliding it up and down bringing the youths' shaft to-

A snort. "You're already doing whatever you want any way-might as well just finish it."

Kenpachi glared. It was one thing if Ichigo was being cheeky-it was quite another that his berry sounded so damn-

He squeezed the warm flesh in his hand-squeezed it hard enough to bruise and demanded yet again "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Eyes hard-angry-no well past the point of being angry the berry snarled out "Nothin' you're hear I'm here, _**ya wanna fuck me so hurry the fuck up and fuck me then!"**_

Rather than finding this to be a turn on-Kenpachi was turned off. He pulled his hand off and released his hold completely-letting the youth fall back on his feet-

Then he backed up giving Ichigo some space-waiting for the orange haired youth to hurry up and explain what the hell was wrong or-

Shit! Kenpachi cursed inwardly and ran a hand through unruly black spikes before moving towards the bed to sit down.

He looked back at his berry surprised that the kid hadn't moved from his spot-he let out a sigh and told himself that maybe he had one beer too many.

Maybe the scent of alcohol was upsetting Ichigo?

But as he caught another glimpse of harsh angry golden orbs-not brilliant brown he wondered if-

"Ichigo?"

A grin-a grin made its way on to the youth's face-but it seemed out of place-didn't reach his eyes- _**"Not quite but hey who the hell cares 'bout details like that-my ass is still ripe for pickin' so how bout it Pachi-?"**_

()()

(Ichigo)

'_Shirosaki what the hell are you doing?"_

'_**What's it look like-I'm helpin' ya ass out once again, King.'**_

'_How the hell is this helping? Kenpachi'll think I've gone mad!'_

_**A snicker. 'It's better for everyone this way King-ya don't want Pachi-not as much as ya wanted Aizen-If ya did I wouldn't been able to take over in the first place.'**_

'_But you did that afternoon-_

'_**This is different Ichi and ya know it. Back then I was messin' round-teasin ya-now I'm tryin' to get ya to back out before ya hurt Pachi and ya self.'**_

'_But I-since when-why do you even?'_

_**A snort 'I'm you dumbass-the sexier, more confident more badass you but still you Ichi-sides jus' cuz ya think its over with Sousuke don't mean it is-guys like him never give up somethin' as ripe as ya pretty ass King.'**_

'_But I-I don't-I mean-shit I-_

'_**Must ya always go in circles-yeah the beast is still sexy as fuck-yeah a part of ya still desires to let him fuck ya straight into next year-but an even bigger part of ya dreams of that white weddin' with Sousuke-**_

'_Without the veil and white doves.'_

'_**Course only rainbow striped pumps and peacocks will do for ya King.'**_

'_Can we make it owls instead?'_

'_**If it ever gets to that point, then ya.'**_

'_What do you mean if-you just said'_

'_**Tick-tock don't keep Pachi waitin' Ichi.'**_

'_What should I-? I mean I owe him somethin'_

_**Yeah ya do-too bad I'm not a genie and can't give ya back ya virginity once its gone-**_

'_So what should I do?'_

'_**Well…'**_

_()()()_

(Aizen)

Of course the police had apologized for arresting him on false charges-of course they had offered to kiss his ass (quite literally) when they realized that the girl, sweet Hina-chan had been crying wolf-of course they knew they were in deep shit and he could (if he desired to do so) make their lives a living hell-but Aizen didn't have the energy, nor time nor patience to deal with small fry-he'd let his lawyers handle it and leave it at that

()()

It was late in the evening when he returned once more-a bit surprised to find Gin and Kaname having sex right out on the front porch. Neither man seemed to care as snow fell-so caught up in their activities as they were-

The duo hadn't seemed to notice his presence or if they had they simply hadn't bothered to stop what they were doing in order to turn around and welcome him back home.

For a moment Sousuke considered acting like a school boy-pelting the couple with medium sized snow balls-snatching up the men's clothing-locking the duo out of the mansion. He considered teasing Gin especially about his snow-white ass but opted against it.

After all he wasn't a young schoolboy and he had a reputation to up hold and there was a code to follow so he left Gin and Kaname alone and continued on inside-removing his tie and shoes as he planned out his next course of action.

()()

Yes it seems as though the days and nights in this particular tale are endless and so my dearest audience we flash forward and finally it is…

_**1 day before Christmas Eve…**_

There was no time to be a Grinch when he was being surrounded by Gin and his uber holiday-ism-despite not being in the best of moods Aizen could not quite keep his frown firmly in place when the silver-haired man insisted on dressing in red and green from head to toe looking positively beyond ridiculous with his striped top hat, jacket and cane singing along with the old fashioned record player while he danced up the grand staircase winding it with garland and mistletoe.

The silver-fox paused briefly to peak his head in the doorway of the office and call out "G'mornin' Aizen-sama!"

Allowing a smirk to stretch across his lips Aizen set aside the mini mountain of paperwork and returned the greeting "Good morning Gin. Come to finish decorating my office have you?"

"Jus' a lil bit-I'm thinkin' it could use a little more red doncha agree?"

"Hmm do what you must, I will take both my morning tea and my papers to the library."

Ruby reds twinkling Gin set aside his not-so-little box of Holiday Décor and moved over to the window-pulling back the drapes – "Jus' outta curiosity have yer looked out yer bedroom window this mornin' Aizen-sama?"

Aizen raised a brow-half curious/half wary of why Gin was asking him such a question "Is there a reason I should?"

Truthfully he had no real desire to look out the window which held a perfect view of the garden-it reminded him too much of the boy who had not-so-quietly slipped away from his grasp-

Like an excited kid on Christmas day-baring the fact that it wasn't quite the 25th-hell wasn't even the 24th yet Gin grabbed a hold of his sleeve and half dragged/half carried Aizen out of the room, down the hall-bringing to mind an elf as he skipped towards the master bedroom-

The fox knew that he did not fancy having anyone invading his private sanctuary and so Aizen narrowed dark brown eyes at the younger male- "Gin what did you do?"

Grinning in his typical fashion-the silver-haired man just ignored Aizen's dark glare and pushed the door open-

()()

"What exactly is it I am supposed to be looking for?"

"Well look out the window and you will find yer answer."

Not just inside of the mansion but outside of the mansion as well Gin went out of his way every year to make the decorations and the over all atmosphere even more spectacular than the one during the previous year-

Not wishing to waste another moment Sousuke pulled back the drapes and was both surprised and secretly amused to find 8 reindeer baring his children's names on their collars.

"Figured even if the kiddies don't show up for the winter hols' might as well find the next best thing." A wide grin "Plus they won't talk back to ya."

"This is your gift to me then?"

Gin shook his head "Not even close, yer gift will arrive tomorrow night Aizen-sama."

With these not quite cryptic words the silver fox turned on his heel and made his way back down the grand staircase calling out "I hope yer don't mind if I spruce up the old grand father clock sitting in the foyer."

()()

(Ichigo)

_**Christmas EVE**_

"Now remember when you serve drinks you must smile."

Who the fuck was goat face kidding? The man's smile was wide enough to light up half the damn world.

"You should just be grateful that I care about you enough to dress up again instead of locking myself in my dorm room like the average 19 year old."

"Now, now Ichigo is that any way to thank your care provider. Daddy goes through all this trouble to ensure that your costume fits this year and the least you can do-

Ichigo rolled his eyes and tugged at said costume-he hadn't even had it on for 15 minutes and already he wished to burn it in the nearest fireplace-the way the stupid fabric kept bunching made him look like he went out of his way to pad his ass. The orange haired male was experiencing the wedgie of the century-not that his idiot old man gave a damn.

"And don't forget your ears and nose-after all that trouble Rukia-chan went through to track down such rare items."

Another eye roll. There was nothing rare about a headband designed to look like antlers or red bulb with little sticky tabs on the back of it. His raven-haired friend was just trying to get back at him for ruining 'her holiday' _right_ her holiday-like he'd done it on purpose.

()()

One good thing came out such a stupid party though-he didn't have to suffer through it alone-rather Chado, Ishida, Rukia, Inoue and Renji had tagged along.

()()

Serving drinks wasn't all that complicated especially since it wasn't like he had to pour the drinks and memorize what went into each one.

All Ichigo had to do was walk around and pretend like half the damn room wasn't staring at his ass all night long.

Damn goat face and his perverted business associates! Weren't they supposed to be happily married? Retired? Asexual? Apparently not!

On top of which the way the costume was designed it literally looked like Ichigo's ass was shaking when the phone in his pocket vibrated.

Ignoring the not so discreet drunken leers, lust-crazed bedroom eyes and grabby grabby hands, the orange haired youth handed the half empty tray of drinks to Renji's pink haired lover (Grantz hadn't been invited but hell if Ichigo was going to kick Renji's lover out of the party, he'd never hear the end of it) and stepped outside in order to take the call.

()()

Although Ichigo couldn't understand why anyone would call him-he was meeting up with the rest of his friends later that night at the Kuchiki mansion.

Ichigo pressed the phone to his ear and waited for the voice on the other end.

"_**You're not even gonna come over and let me molest you under the mistletoe, Ichigo?"**_

Of all the people Ichigo had expected to call-Kenpachi was not one of them. Ever since that afternoon at the lodge he hadn't seen or heard from the man. So why now?

"Uh Merry Christmas Kenpachi."

"_**Merry Christmas my ass! Why the hell are you avoiding me Ichigo? Just because YOU decided to get all nice and cozy with your pretty boy loan shark doesn't mean you can't come around and let me ogle your ass once in awhile."**_

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Somethings never change. He wasn't even going to bother correcting the man-it was better this way-let Kenpachi think he was with another although why the man thought a loan shark of all people the berry would never know.

Really though-the man was being a bit ridiculous-acting as though an entire year had passed and not just a handful of days.

_**Kenpachi's voice was serious now as he added, "Pretty bastard better be taking care of Ichigo or else I'll shove my size eleven boot right through his fancy door and up his equally fancy ass!"**_

Ichigo flinched "Listen Kenpachi I'm sorry fo-

"_**Save it! Just bring your ass over here and let me give you your present-no one else is gonna accept leather pumps as a gift without looking at me like I'm some kinda homo."**_

"Well technically-

"Shut up Ichigo! Almost fucking your pretty pass does not make me a cock sucker-

Ichigo couldn't help it. He laughed. If that's what made a man like Kenpachi sleep better at night-let him think what he wanted. "It's really good to hear from you Kenpachi."

"_**You too kid. So you comin' or what?"**_

"I can't at least not tonight anyway."

"_**Why not? Gotta go sit through some girly ballet or something?"**_

"No I promised my old man I'd help him out with something."

"_**Uh huh and what would that be?"**_

"Uh well just family togetherness, you know how these things go."

This time it was Kenpachi's turn to laugh, _**"Fine I'll let you off this time but you better be here on New Years or else I'll come down there and-**_

Ichigo didn't know why he was about to agree but he figured what's the worst that could happen?

_**(('Stupid King haven't ya learned anything by now?'))**_

_((Knock it off Shirosaki! Where's your Christmas spirit?))_

_**((Prob'ly hidin' back up at the mansion with Sousuke-sama, call him up and maybe I'll fi-**_

_**((**__No!))_

_**(('Heh, then 'least stop bein' so damn lame blow off this party and then go blow 'Pachi.'))**_

_**((**__No.))_

'_**Ya suck king and not in the good way either.'**_

'_Yeah, yeah save it for someone who cares.'_

"**I'm gonna hang up now Ichigo-don't want your pretty boy loan shark to get his panties in a bunch."**

"He doesn't wear panties."

Kenpachi laughed even harder._** "Course not cuz he knows he can't compete with an' ass like yours-and you got one hell of an ass, kid."**_

"Ke-Kenpachi!"

More laughter. "_**Take care Ichigo and don't forget about New Years-these pumps only got one name on them and that's yours."**_

After that the man hung up and Ichigo let out a sigh-

"Why is it that I couldn't wholly and completely love him again?"

'_**Because ya heart belongs to another whether ya wanna admit it or not.'**_

Ichigo rubbed his chest knowing that his "hollow" was right.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done."

()()()

(Gin)

Little did our favorite orange berry know a certain silver fox was in the middle of finalizing some last minute plotting…

"Aizen-sama really did want to make it to Masaki-san's dinner the shindig the other night but he was called away on business and offers this as an apology."

Isshin's face was serious as he studied the silver fox. "I don't know what happened between Aizen and my boy but if I found out he was lying-he will have a lot more to answer to than my wife's lie detector and you can tell him I said that."

"Oooh such a scary expression-I can see where Ichi-chan gets it from," Gin snickered and the presented the goat with a bottle of long island rum and continued with "Ichi-chan belongs with Aizen-sama, they were made for each other-don't believe me-take a look at this.

The silver haired man reached inside one of his pockets and pulled out a mini stack of photographs-flashing them at the dark haired man.

His favorite being the one of Ichi-chan and Aizen-sama snuggled closely on the love seat in the living room of the mansion.

Ichimaru Gin wouldn't be Ichimaru Gin if he didn't sneak around from time to time-the photos were not real obviously-ah the joys of technology and photo shop.

Cost the silver fox more than a pretty penny but it got the job done.

"Even yer got to admit Ichi-chan looks happy with Aizen-sama."

Isshin took a few minutes to examine the photographs more closely then he handed them back to Gin-a light smile was on his face now.

He slapped the silver-haired man on the back "Great! Ichigo just stepped out but I can tell him you''re-

Gin slipped the doctored-photos back in his pocket "That won't be necessary, already got someone to fetch Ichi-chan as we speak.

The goat blinked and then narrowed his eyes at the younger man-face serious once more "Who?"

Gin snickered-thinking that in an alternate universe or under different circumstances it might be fun to _play_ with this man.

'_**Ichi-chan's papi is kinda cute in his own way.'**_

"Don't worry yer pretty head Isshin-san, Ichi-chan is in good hands. Kaname was a nanny for 13 years before he adopted a child of his own. Why don't you just go back inside and enjoy yer party unless ya wanna discuss somethin' else with me."

Gin presented the goat with his business card and a box of cigars-

Isshin frowned "I gave up smoking after my girls were born."

But even as the man said this, his eyes lingered on the box-

The silver fox grinned and opened the box- "How about we split one then? Then ya won't have to feel so guilty." 

"Well-

Gin selected one of the cigars and waved it under the dark haired man's nose "Smell that? Pure 100 percent Cuban tobacco."

He grinned wider "Another gift from Aizen-sama."

The goat looked a little drunk by now- "I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he searched his pockets most likely looking for a lighter. "Damnit I knew I had a packet of matches in here somewhere."

Gin would have continued to play but he had his own holiday party to get back to "I have a lighter," he reached into the pocket of his vest holding up the shiny object "I'll expect it back o' course-yer can give it to me in Spring at Hali-chan's baby shower."

"Hali-chan?"

"Oh didn't I tell ya? Aizen-sama had many children-Hali-chan is his eldest daughter-she and her life partner are expectin' a baby girl."

Dark brows furrowed, "A baby shower-what does a baby shower have to do with returning your lighter?"

"Cuz it'll be Ichi-chan's baby shower as well," crimson eyes twinkled, "He jus' doesn't know it yet."

The goat blinked once. Blinked twice. Blinked three times.

"…"

Gin's grin was so damn wide now it was surprise his face didn't hurt.

"WHAT?"

()()

(Ichigo)

"It's nice to see you again too Tousen-san but uh what are you doing here?"

Even though Ichigo knew he'd probably hear an earful later the orange haired youth didn't have any desire to go back inside right away but it was a bit of a surprise to see Aizen's housemate/business partner here of all places.

It wasn't like goat face was part of some big law firm or hospital or something-much closer to a clinic and even though it was one of the best clinics in Karakura Town it wasn't exactly ritzy-he guessed Tousen-san might know one of the doctors or nurses and that is why he was here at the not so quiet party.

"Interesting choice of costume but aren't you a bit cold?"

"Well I would be except it has thermal heating pads sewn in on the inside."

Why was he telling the man this? He doubted Tousen even cared not to mention his question hadn't been answered.

"Are you meeting someone?"

"No I've come to speak with you actually."

"Um about what?"

"I would prefer to discuss it somewhere warmer do you think you can step away from the party for a little while and follow me back to the limo?"

Limo? He hoped Toshiro wasn't the one driving tonight.

"It will only take a few minutes out of your time, Ichigo."

"Sure I mean uh lead the way."

()()

Ichigo followed Tousen at a leisurely pace making small talk along the way.

"Finish all your holiday shopping already?"

"Yes and you?"

"More or less-I mean there are a few last minute gifts to wrap but the main ones are under the tree."

"Everyone was looking forward to seeing you at the mansion you know. Even Wonderweiss insisted upon getting you a stocking to hang above the fireplace."

"Uh no offense Tousen-san I mean it's a nice gesture and everything but I don't even know you guys that well and-

"How well do any of us truly know our family members Ichigo?"

Er family?

"You should at least come over to try some of my squash and collect your presents."

Why the hell did everyone keep buying him gifts?

"I don't need anything. A simple greeting card would have been fine."

Although truthfully Ichigo didn't even want that.

"I was under the impression that you had taken a genuine interest in Aizen-sama."

Ichigo didn't know how to respond to this so he said nothing.

And then tried to switch the subject "So what was it you wished to show me?"

Tousen stopped and turned to smirk at him. "You will get your answer as soon as we get there."

()()

_FLASH_

_**One of the things Unohana Retsu had taught Ichigo during their sessions was…**_

"_**Sometimes an event or an item and even a person can trigger or unlock unwanted memories. This is a lesson you have to learn-the one I plan to teach you-I want to show you that you can confront those memories."**_

"_**And if I don't want to?"**_

"_**I'd like you to try Ichigo it is the only way you'll be able to move forward."**_

_**The boy sitting in the leather recliner crossed his arms-showing the woman that he had no intention of cooperating with this little exercise or whatever.**_

_**Hell he didn't even know why goat face insisted on his coming here-he was a hero-they should be throwing him a party not stuffing him in a brightly lit room with a 'doctor'**_

_**Ichigo didn't think there was anything wrong with killing a man who had threatened to harm his mother first-he could still see the events as though they happened only yesterday rather than half a year ago-but the boy had no desire to rehash-no desire to go back.**_

_**He didn't feel guilt or remorse for taking another life.**_

_**And so that automatically made him unfeeling? Damaged? Deranged?**_

"_**What exactly do you wish for me to tell you sensei?"**_

_**As far as Ichigo was concerned the woman was neither his teacher nor his doctor-she probably signed on for this position so she could retire before she even reached the age of 30.**_

_**He didn't hate her but he didn't particularly like her either.**_

_**Actually the orange haired boy didn't like women in general unless they were his Kaa-san but Kaa-san was different-Kaa-san was his world.**_

"_**It's perfectly normal to be afraid Ichigo."**_

"_**Who says I'm afraid-not like I've never seen blood before."**_

"_**Blood?"**_

_**Shit he hadn't meant to let that slip out. The orange haired boy closed his eyes and began to distract himself from the woman's inquiring gaze. He absentmindedly played with the drawstring on his hood.**_

"_**Where the hell is goat face anyway? He said half and hour not all damn day."**_

'_I can help ya escape King, for a price.'_

'_**You're not here, you're not here.'**_

_**The boy covered his ears as if to block out the voice who entered his mind just then-it hadn't always been there-**_

'_Been here long enough to tell ya that escapin' from this place ain't gonna happen unless ya listen to me.'_

_**The boy pressed his fingers into his ears-desperate to shout out the voice which was so much like his own yet entirely different at the same time.**_

'_Ya know ya'd be nothin' with out me Ichi-let me out I wanna play.'_

"_**You're not HERE!"**_

_**Ichigo hadn't realized he screamed these words out loud until he saw the look of alarm cross Unohana's face.**_

"_**Who is not here Ichigo? Are you saying you see someone else?"**_

_**The woman stilled her pen against her note pad, crossed her hands over her knees and waited for his explanation.**_

'_Now ya've done it King.'_

'_**Shut up you-**_

'_Names Shirosaki but ya already know this-Zan already told ya.'_

_**A feeling of something like hope warmed Ichigo-he shut his eyes once more and called out to-**_

_**Well Ichigo didn't even know what Zan was exactly-couldn't explain Zan anymore than he could explain Shirosaki.**_

_**They didn't even have a shape-just voices-two very distinct voices which mirrored yet not quite mirrored his own.**_

_**What did a 7 year old know about voices in his head? What did a boy know about feeling like he was in control yet not in control at the same time?**_

'_Zan's on vacation but I'm here to stay-so King ya've got two options-One) Let me out and I'll take ya to the nearest fun house-I know how much you love those mirrors-or Two) I scrape my way out, put the doc lady in a permanent sleep just like I did to ole' slicker face-tick tock.'_

_**Shirosaki was lying. Zan wouldn't just leave him-not after-**_

"_**Ichigo!"**_

_**The boy jumped and stuffed his hands inside the sleeves of his hoodie-refusing to meet the woman's gaze.**_

"_**Let's pretend for a moment that I am not your doctor but your friend-let's say that as your friend I-**_

'_Don't listen to her King, trust me ya won't like it.'_

_**Ichigo snorted and although he was speaking inside his head the words found its way past his lips-**_

"_**She can't be any worse than you."**_

"_**She? Who? Your mother?"**_

'_Can ya believe this bitch-she jus' insulted ya Kaa-chan-come on King let me kill her!'_

"_**No Kaa-san would never-**_

"_**Then who? Your aunt? Your father tells me the woman is a bit rough around the edges and that she has quite the temper but-**_

_**What the hell did his Aunt have to do with anything? Unohana was pissing Ichigo off more and more by the minute.**_

_**When the boy did not give an immediate answer the woman moved out of her chair and walked over and kneeled before him-placing her hands on top of his lap. **_

"_**Ichigo?"**_

_**The boy blinked rapidly-wondering when the hell the doctor had gotten so close-**_

'_Tch look at that King, on top of insultin' Kaa-chan this bitch is getting' in ya private space-can I please just maim her a lil bit-_

"_**SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"**_

_**The boy screamed right before he sent the woman flying backwards a good couple of feet.**_

_**Unohana did not cry out or look at him with horror-rather the woman as looked as though he had just helped her confirm something.**_

_**Rising to her feet the doctor moved back to the other side of the room and returned to her desk, folding her hands once again. "Well Ichigo it seems that talking has upset you so we are going to try something else."**_

_**Something else? What did she mean by that?**_

_**()()**_

Someone was tapping his cheek-cinnamon and coffee colored eyes fluttered open to find a dark man hovering over him-

Ichigo looked around wondering why the man was here and why it was snowing and then he remembered he was outside-

"But why am I on the ground?"

'_**Think King it'll come to ya.'**_

_**Orange brows furrowed…**_

_**()()**_

_**RESUME FLASH**_

"_**Yesterday we were talking about confronting unwanted memories-today we are going to take it one step further and instead of just thinking back and discussing your memories I want you to go back and relive them-do you think you can do that for me Ichigo?"**_

_**The boy felt calm today and he did not wish to argue with the woman-he took another sip from the tea the woman had poured and gave a slight nod.**_

_**Unohana seemed pleased with his answer and patted the vanity couch next to her "I think it would be best if you get yourself as comfortable as possible. Why don't you sit here Ichigo?"**_

'_I wouldn't do that if I were ya King-sounds kinda fishy-what next she gonna strap ya down and poke and prod ya with needles?'_

'_**Bring Zan back!'**_

'_Zan can not be reached at the moment-fact he's gonna be gone for awhile-_

'_**Why?'**_

_A snicker. 'Wouldn't ya like to know-too bad I'm not gonna tell ya-not if ya don't stop actin' like I don't exist.'_

'_**But you don't! You're probably just some demon or something like in bedtime stories Kaa-san tells me sometimes-you can't hurt me though because demons aren't real.'**_

'_Really? What else did Kaa-chan tell ya?'_

_Ichigo furrowed his brows._

_More cackling followed 'She never told ya a damn thing-admit it Ichi ya got no one but me right now'_

'_**No you're lying!'**_

'_Am I? Then why were ya able to sleep peacefully last night-why didn't ya wake up screamin?'_

'_**Easy. Cuz Kaa-san was right down the hall and she would never let anything happen to me.'**_

'_Wrong again King-I'm the one who protects ya from the things that scare ya most-I'm the one who controls ya brain and body when it freezes up-I'm the one who helped ya out that day on the train.'_

_**The boy shook his head almost violently**_

'_**No it was Zan-Zan was the one who told me to-**_

'_Look Ichi there is no Zan-not in the way that ya think anyway-we aren't separate entities-we're one in the same-to put it a way so ya can understand it-imagine someone reached inside ya and ripped your soul-not once, not twice but three times. Zan is the side of your soul who remembers the previous life times ya've lived-he knows patience, he knows heartache, struggle, determination, he's what I like to term a moral man-led ya down the path of light and all that-_

_I only the other hand am the piece of ya soul who carries the weight, the pain, hatred, guilt, anger, sadness, lust (somethin' ya won't understand til ya are older) pride and so on-ya can't have one with out the other-the day of the train incident I was the side ya relied heavily on-your anger and ya burnin' desire to kill the bastard who was hurtin' Kaa-chan outweighed your fear-overpowered ya hesitation, self doubt-if ya don't believe me ask the doc for a mirror.'_

_**Wishing to understand but still wary Ichigo opened his mouth and asked the woman "Do you have a mirror Unohana-sensei?"**_

_**The woman did not answer right away as she finished scribbling down notes-a moment later she looked up-a serene smile on her face. "Of course Ichigo."**_

_**()()**_

Ichigo shook his head wishing to banish the not-so-joyous moments of the past and tried to figure out why such memories had been triggered in the first place and then he saw it-

A tiny mirror dangling off the pocket of Tousen's pants.

The man hadn't done or said anything nor gave an indication as to what he was unintentionally doing to the orange haired youth. Tousen looked perplexed and disturbed.

"Do you need help to stand Ichigo?"

Why was he still lying in the snow?

After a moment or two Ichigo accepted the hand that was offered and asked "Did I faint?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it a faint but something close to it-

"Geez Ichi-chan yer look like ya seen a ghost or soemthin'

"Ichimaru!"

"Tsk, tsk we're bed-buddies now Kaname, that's not the proper way to address me."

Ichigo's eyes darted back and forth between the two men.

First Tousen and now Gin? Was he missing something?

"Ichi-chan somethin' the matter?"

'_**Before ya go babblin' your secrets away I think ya should first find out why they tracked ya down.'**_

Shirosaki had a point.

"Ichi-chan?"

"I-

He couldn't exactly tell Gin and Tousen that the mere sight of a mirror had caused him to have an "episode" so Ichigo just shrugged and played it casual "It's nothing I'm just a bit tiered I guess." He yawned in order to back up his lame excuse. "Anyway what did you want to show or talk to me about Tousen-san?"

Gin waved his finger and made a clucking noise with his tongue "Now, now Ichi-chan if we told ya it wouldn't be a surprise-shame, shame on you tryin' to put Kaname on the spot-tryin' to win him over with **those** eyes of yours."

What the hell did the silver fox mean by that?

"Uh right well I guess I'll head back to the party then-everyone is probably wondering where I am and-

"Can't do that Ichi-chan, its not even midnight yet."

WHAT THE HELL?

Were Gin and Tousen playing with him?

What exactly was going on?

Was-no Sousuke wouldn't be behind this-would he?

Ichigo's eyes flicked to the shiny mirror dangling off the man's pants once more and the memories from the past hit him like a lightning bolt during a particularly violent storm.

()()

FLASH

_**The woman held out the mirror to the boy and despite the few smudges where he fingers had been-it was almost in perfect condition-**_

_**The boy ran his finger over the edge and the clutched his head and let out a horrific scream-the mirror slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor-**_

_**He continued clutching his head-desperate to dig the pain out with his nails-**_

'_Silly King can't let ya do that-once ya stop bein' so stubborn and tell the doc what she wished to know-_

"SHUT UP!"

_**Unbeknownst to Ichigo once again the words were screamed out loud and the woman was alarmed-the boys eyes were fierce and pure liquid gold-a tiny ring of black surrounding each one-it was more than just seeing but unseeing-frozen Unohana could only watch on in horror as her patient continued to spiral into his memory…**_

_**()()**_

_**A light orange haired boy was currently bouncing up and down in his seat as he watched the outside scenery pass him by-change from wide open spaces (fields and valleys) and lots of greenery to cramped and heavily populated/polluted areas with loud high ways and sky scraper buildings.**_

_**Pulling away from the window Ichigo tapped the woman seated across from him "Kaa-san, Kaa-san do you think we can come back to visit pig-country soon?"**_

"_**We'll see Ichigo, mommy still has an important case to finalize."**_

_**The boy crossed his arms and pouted. "Aww but I wanna come back and play with Bonnie-chan-I think she's starting to like me."**_

_**The woman giggled behind her hand.**_

"_**It's true. Don't laugh at me Kaa-san."**_

"_**But it is kind of funny Ichigo-you see pigs are meant for-**_

_**The woman did not get to finish her sentence-as the door to the train car slid open-**_

_**Before Ichigo could quite figure out what was happening a cold piece of metal was being pressed against his throat-a human voice reached his ears-although calling it a human was a bit of stretch-through the reflection of the mirror on the other side Ichigo was able to make out mean angry eyes hidden behind a an ugly white mask and what looked like a cross behind a rain slicker and a cape of some sort-**_

_**A tiny squeak barely passed his lips but his Kaa-san never took her eyes off him-**_

"_**Stay still Ichigo-listen to everything mommy tells you."**_

_**The boy tried to nod but the pressure at his neck increased-so he tried to smile for the woman.**_

_**Eyes as hard as stone-shifting from amber-honeycomb to deep russet brown the boys' mother demanded to know the name of the one who dared to hold a knife at her son's throat-"WHO ARE YOU?"**_

"_**Think you can send my kid to death row do ya Masaki-think you can rip my son right out of my arms and walk away unscathed?" A chuckle that was anything but sane "We'll see how quick you are to send my boy to the crossroads when yours dies right here, right now."**_

"_**You keep my son out of this Fisher-san. If its revenge you're looking for turn your knife on me instead." (3)**_

_**What? What the hell was his Kaa-san saying? **_

"_**No Kaa-san you can-the boy stopped speaking as he felt the sharp sting on his neck-a thin trickle of blood- "Let him kill me if it means saving you-Yuzu and Karin still need you and ghost face would be lost with out you."**_

"_**Hush now Ichigo-it will all be over soon." Masaki's soft eyes grew hard once again as she turned her attention back to the 'man' in the rain-slicker "I'm right here Fisher-san, take my life if you honestly think it will make you feel any better."**_

_**Ichigo shut his eyes hearing his mother repeat the words "Hush now it will all be over soon. You have to be strong-**_

_**()()**_

"_Deep breaths, easy now. Here drink this." _

_The boy came out of his dream like trance and allowed Unohana to help him sit up. His head no longer felt like it was going to explode-just a dull throb-barely noticeable._

"_Do you want to talk about what just occurred Ichigo?"_

_Ichigo shook his head. "I want to go home and see my Kaa-san."_

"_Your mother, yes you called out to her for awhile now-what exactly happened-why did you call for her?"_

'_**Is this bitch still tryin' to needle her way in? Geez just tell her something like Kaa-chan saved you from an on comin' train.'**_

'_But isn't that too close to the-_

'_**Do ya want her to know the whole truth King? They'll lock ya away for sure. Just listen to me I know what I'm talkin' about-**_

'_Zan told me-_

'_**Zan didn't tell ya-I told ya Ichi-I'm the one who told ya to stop attackin' like a lil baby and get up and fight-Zan just put ya at ease-told ya nothin' would happen to ya or Kaa-chan so long as ya listened-then I jumped up and bit the bastard on the arm-**_

'_No I bit him on the arm. He tasted really salty and wrinkly-I remember my tummy hurt after words.'_

'_**That's cuz I drew blood from the bastard-**_

'_No! No you made Kaa-san cry that day.'_

'_**Least I kept her alive-while ya sat there frozen and whinin' pathetically-**_

_**The boy shook his head.**_

"_**Lies! You-You LIE!"**_

_**ICHIGO**_

'_Zan-Zangetsu?"_

'_**Heh, bastard geezer couldn't ya stay away a lil' longer?'**_

'_Zan is it really you?'_

'_**I have never left your side Ichigo-you must calm yourself-stop screaming.'**_

'_**That's what I been tryin' to tell em'**_

'_Zan he's lyin' right-Shirosaki is lying-it was really you who helped me save my Kaa-san that day wasn't it?'_

'_**YES AND NO.'**_

_**()()**_

"Wakey, wakey Ichi-chan, we've arrived."

Ichigo sat up (wondering when he had apparently fallen asleep/passed out-wondering what he was doing inside a limo)

"Where are-what do you mean we've-?"

"You're starting to worry us Ichigo, here drink this it will help."

Finding nothing unusual about being offered a steaming hot Styrofoam cup of coffee the orange haired youth brought the said cup up to his lips and took a few sips.

Missing the look that passed between the two men.

()()()

As the familiar view of Victorian style cast iron gates came into full view Ichigo felt his blood run…well not necessarily cold-but he felt unsettled all the same.

A gloved hand was upon his shoulder and he turned to find the silver fox grinning at him expectantly "Why don't you head on inside Ichi-chan? Kaname and I will be a long a lil' while later."

"Uh I'd rather not."

"Come now don't be shy-sides its not like yer haven't been 'ere before."

Exactly-that was the problem.

Ichigo wasn't ready to face Sousuke. Wasn't even sure what he would say to the man.

Another hand fell upon his other shoulder as Tousen added, "Remember the presents I mentioned before?"

Ichigo nodded feeling irritated with his self and the two men-why the hell were they treating him like a little boy. "What about them?"

Crimson eyes danced. "Just humor a couple of ole' men and go and collect em' Ichi-chan-it's not gonna kill ya."

With an aggravated groan followed by a reluctant sigh Ichigo unlocked the doors, pushed the handle and stepped out-shivering just the slightest as a particularly harsh gust of wind blew up his back side-thermal pads or no-there was no denying the winter chill.

"Hurry and get inside Ichi-chan yer don't wanna catch cold."

A deep chuckle "Not that I think Aizen-sama would have any real objections to a semi-frosted berry."

Ichigo turned back around to glare and curse at the two men who thought it was fun to tease him but his voice was drowned out but the door being slammed shut-the engine purring back to life and the loud screech of the tires as the limo sped off into the dark of the night.

STAY TUNED FOR THE EPILOGUE

NOTES:

**With a battle cry that could be heard clear across the mountain range and do Priestess Tobiume proud, Hinamori leapt out and charged at her target (1)**

Snorts, yet another loose-canon reference-Hinamori's zanpakuto…and in the filer arc at least in my opinion the way Tobiume was drawn reminded me of a priestess-calm yet deadly or something.

Next…"

_**Quiet Isshin! You're much too trusting of men with shiny hair and fancy business suits-its no wonder Jiro pulled a fast one on you that time and you wound up having to date a lone shark to make up for the difference." (2)**_

It's sort of like my own secret fetish-shiny hair and fancy suits-but in addition to this, when it comes to the manga/anime universe-particularly of the BL genre, I can't get enough of "loan sharks" or Yakuza types. I have the not-so-secret obsession with making Isshin a former candy boy (slut) before Masaki came into his life.

FINALLY

"_**You keep my son out of this Fisher-san. If its revenge you're looking for turn your knife on me instead." (3)**_

Fisher-san-snerks, the Grand fisher obviously-only he didn't succeed in killing Masaki this time.

Additional notes: The creation of the train incident is partially inspired by a conversation with RamenCupMiso-she brought up quite a few good points and made SLY realize that rather than just revealing bits and pieces to Ichigo's split-personality-its should be more in depth then I originally planned to make it. So thank you Miso!

I'm sure those of you that still bother to sit here and read this are probably asking yourselves: SLY, why bother labeling a story AiIchi when its pretty clear that the orange berry really belongs with Ken-chan?

Answer: It is not so much that Ichigo belongs with Ken-chan but there is no denying there obvious connection-on top of which KENICHI is BonneSarah's OTP so naturally he's gonna get extra moments with the berry.

And then you're probably asking/wondering: Well then why does it seem like Ichigo is settling? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for him to constantly obsess over other men when Aizen-sama is supposed to be his number 1?

Answer: It's difficult to say when I originally set out to write this TAXI, TAXI sequel/continuation there was only supposed to be one other suitor competing for Ichigo's affections and that's Grimmjow but then well…things happened and Ken-chan wanted to come out and play-as for Nnoitra?...In short Bonne just made me realize that there is no story complete with out him.

If you read/follow my other fics you will see that the main pairing is never exactly the main focus and why?

Because writing multi-berry chasers is half the fun!

Reminders: After the epilogue, which should be posted in a few days…keep a look out for the _ALTERNATE WINNERS!_

If you are still rooting for **Ken-chan**: Stay Tuned For Alternate Ending Number

1) Shades of Orange: But I'm Not The Bride!

If you feel cheated and wish that it were **Grimm** who came out on top: Stay Tuned for Alternate Ending Number

2) Shades of Orange: Can't Call It A Convention Without the Occasional Fan Boy!

If you are one of the rare few who can't get enough of **Nnoitra **and want to see more of him: Stay Tuned For Alternate Ending Number

3)Shades of Orange: Ho, Ho Woah!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own boots but they are not DIRTY BOOTS! That is all Kubo-sensei

A/N What more notes? What for? Who the hell has notes in an epilogue? And how exactly can you call this epilogue anyway? Shrugs, anyway it really doesn't help that my brain has trouble making up its mind from time to time… In the not so far away future when I write more Aizen and Ichigo…it won't be this scatter brained that's for damn sure. ANYWAY ENJOY!

The one I wrote it for:

_Ah Bonne it seems like its been forever and a year (maybe it has) when I spoke to you about how it all comes to a close…for the most part I stuck to it but some things changed, hope you don't mind too much._

~SLY~

To my loyal ones: (Miso, Ane-chan, Totoromo) Show me the way ladies, I am but an imperfect human.

Warnings: IS IT REALLY NECESSARY AT THIS POINT? I don't think so

Shades of Orange

THE NOT QUITE EPILOGUE

What comes after the Mistletoe?

(Ulquiorra)

It was good to be in control. To hold the power over his moronic, stubborn, selfish siblings.

Ulquiorra rarely had a reason to celebrate anything-rarely had a reason to be excited-

What was the reason for the green-eyed male's happiness?

The main star was about to arrive. He just received the text from Gin-oji-the silver fox had sounded positively giddy on the other end-

Yes everything was working out just as it should.

There had been a few stumbles-a few slip ups but not all was lost because it was only Christmas Eve.

Ulquiorra barely batted a lash as his previously unconscious siblings woke up to glare darkly at him.

With Starrk, Lilinette, Neliel and even Wonderweiss' assist he had knocked the troublesome trio out with some simple tranquilizer darts and bound their hands behind their backs and to the chairs with rope-green and red to keep in the holiday spirit.

An unknowing person would probably think such actions were a bit extreme-but then that unknowing person didn't know the trio like Ulquiorra did. Grimmjow, Nnoitra and Halibel (when angered) would make wild pack of hyenas look like hairless dogs in comparison. And even that description wasn't strong enough.

"Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Halibel you have brought this upon yourselves."

Always the one to follow certain habits the blue haired male was the one to vocally express his displeasure first "Ulquiorra you fuckin little bastard what the hell is this shit _huh_?"

"I'm sure if you used that thing you call a brain for once the answer would come to you Grimmjow."

Naturally the blue-haired male wouldn't be satisfied until he fired off a death threat or two- "The moment I get free I'll fuckin' kill all of you-accept for you Lili sweetie, be a good girl and untie big brother Grimm would ya?"

Lilinette looked to Starrk for approval "Should I?"

Starrk looking half asleep as always yawned out a simple "No."

"Really Quiorra if ya missed me that damn badly ya shoulda just dropped in for tea and crumpet hour, ya didn't have to knock a man out when he's in the middle of bathin'."

Ulquiorra refrained from rolling his eyes at the predictable behavior of his tallest sibling. "You can shower as much as you like Nnoitra it will not erase the evidence of your crimes," a barely noticeable smirk, "Only Kurosaki's forgiveness can save you now."

The dark-haired male sneered, "What you're little priest teach you that lesson or something-spouse I should start sayin' my hail Mary's then too?"

Ulquiorra did not bother with a response but turned his attention on to Halibel who hadn't said anything yet.

"You had plenty to say over the course of the past month and a half Halibel, I find it hard to believe that you have run out of words."

Poison greens narrowed to slits "What would you like for me to say Ulquiorra? That you were right all along? That you are the better child-more deserving of father's love is that what you want me to say?"

The blonde spat blood as Uquiorra backhanded her "It would be a good start."

Halibel looked positively murderous now and she turned to her sister for help. Nel was sitting quietly on the arm of the couch while she let Wonderweiss braid her hair and pretended not to acknowledge the fact that any one else was in the room with her.

"YOU stupid fuckin' retard untie us NOW!"

It was not the blonde to scream out such a cruel demand but Nnoitra.

A silent message passed between Ulquiorra and Starrk and a moment later the dark-haired males' bitch-rant-fest was effectively muffled by a handkerchief.

"Thank you Starrk."

The coyote simply nodded and Ulquiorra continued,

"Now then can I continue with out interruptions?"

"We're all ears-not like you've given us much of a choice Ulquiorra."

"On second thought Starrk-

The rest of Ulquiorra's sentence never made its way past his lips-but again it wasn't necessary because the coyote got the message loud and clear.

"Gag her too." He pointed at Halibel who had still (unsuccessfully) been trying to gain Neliel's attention.

Pleased that he could finally finish what he wished to say the pale-faced green-eyed male decided to take this time to celebrate-he lifted his glass of eggnog and took a sip-not bothering to wipe his lips with the chance that he might smear his lipstick.

"We have all wronged Kurosaki Ichigo at one point or another but you 3 went beyond simply hazing and teasing the boy-you 3 went out of your way to humiliate, confuse and put his life in danger.

How did you think things would turn out? Did you honestly believe you would get away with such selfish and arrogant acts? Take a moment let it all sink in only then will you be able to fully understand the damage that you have caused."

"…"

And then muffled sounds and clinking of rings against the back of the chair-Nnoitra's chair to be exact.

Oh no Ulquiorra was not going to let anyone escape tonight!

"Lilinette tighten the knot on Nnoitra's rope-we don't want him to accidentally get free and then molest Aizen-sama's bride to be once he arrives."

At last Nel looked up "Ichi is comin' to see us?"

Starrk shook his head and answered, "Not to see us, Neliel-to see father."

"Thank you for your helpful explanations Starrk but I'd like to continue if you don't mind?"

Gray eyes narrowed and the Coyote's usual lazy drawl was laced with something like annoyance "Do not talk to me like I am one of them, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra didn't have the energy nor the time for unnecessary drama and so he bowed his head "My apologizes, it won't happen again."

Starrk seemed content enough and let the green-eyed male continue.

"We had one mission and that mission was to find father a bride and then present him or her to father on Christmas night. Is this or is it not true-a simple nodding of your stubborn heads will do."

Still glaring daggers and struggling to break free from their bonds the trio ignored him-no matter Ulquiorra would not stoop to their level and stomp his foot like a child and demand their attention.

Because it was not necessary since he knew Grimmjow, Nnoitra and Halibel were in fact listening.

"Now Grimmjow it comes as no real surprise to anyone that you did not complete your role on the mission-you have always been stubborn, rebellious, arrogant and when you see something or someone (as with the case of Kurosaki) you ignore all the rules and the natural order-your place in this family is shot to hell. Are you proud of yourself?"

Electric blue eyes flashed-even with the gag Ulquiorra could more or less figure out what the foolish brute thought of "family" and "order"

"We will credit you for one thing though Grimmjow-for all your lewd comments and suggestive gestures-even though you had plenty of opportunities you did not give in to your primal urges and taint the bride to be-in fact and I think all of you can agree with me when I say this. We should commend Grimmjow for keeping his dick in his pants-why not take it one step further and give him a round of applause."

Starrk did not bother to hide his amusement-Neliel looked like she didn't quite understand what had just been said and Wonderweiss and Lilinette were thankfully too enraptured with the fairytale book laid out on the coffee table.

"Congratulations Grimmjow, there might just be a piece of humanity somewhere in you after all."

If Ulquiorra didn't have the instincts to duck his porcelain white face would have met the heel of Grimmjow's combat boots just then.

"Hmm I suppose I deserve that for not being smart enough to bind your legs together as well." Ulquiorra straightened out the non-existent wrinkles in his pants "Let's move on shall we? Halibel would you care to tell the group why you have such an obsession with injecting helpless boys with untested drugs?"

Poison green eyes narrowed to the thinnest of slits.

"Halibel if it's attention and love your looking for perhaps you should spend more time with Nemu rather than plotting ways to bring a new life into the picture-into this chaos-into this home based on nothing but lies and selfishness, betrayal and really must I go on?

You know what you have done- a pause-Ulquiorra raised the glass of egg nog to his lips again and took a few more sips "I admit the idea of seeing Kurosaki with the glow of motherhood around him is still a fitting image-_however _we agreed from the start that such a decision was not ours to make.

"Nothing-I repeat nothing gives you the right to forcefully hold another human being down and use them like a guinea pig all in the name science!"

Naturally the blonde didn't even flinch or bat a lash because she did not care-in the long run it did matter how it happened-

Ulquiorra would like to smack Halibel again but violence was not the answer.

Turning away from the blonde in disgust he stepped over and stopped right in front of Nnoitra-hating that that grin never left the other dark haired males face even when he was gagged.

"The black sheep finally returns home-are you having fun yet Nnoitra?"

Wanting to hear a verbal response Ulquiorra signaled that Starrk should remove the gag.

"Not really but maybe if ya got up and danced with a rockin' horse like ya did when we were younger I wouldn't feel the urge to pass out from your boring rambling."

"Rambling?"

"Did it sound like I fuckin' stuttered?"

()()

(Ichigo)

The door was slightly open which Ichigo thought was a little odd not to mention dangerous and totally un-Sousuke ish.

Not that anyone with a brain would be foolish enough to steal from the man-but still…

Could he really just push the door open and enter the mansion uninvited?

Even though Tousen and Gin said Aizen was expecting him what if they were lying?

And what was up with tea and the mirror and the words that sounded like an exact echo of what Unohana had said years ago?

'_**I am so sick and tiered of being confused-I just want some real answers-from the horse's mouth.'**_

()()

_The saying 'be careful what you wish for' never rang more true then it did at that moment._

Voices. Not just a one voice but several. Several familiar voices.

Ichigo was not the type to eavesdrop but when he caught his name in the conversation he couldn't help but press his ear to the wall-

'_**Are ya sure you wanna do this King?'**_

'_They're talking about me, all of them.'_

'_**Well its not like its nothin' ya haven't heard and technically its Quiorra lecturin' them about what they did to you."**_

'_Yes but its more than that I mean from the sound of things they've been planning this for awhile-a lot longer than Hiyori led me to believe not that its her fault-even spies don't get all the information right-_

'_**What are ya gonna do Ichi-wanna go in there and spill some blood?'**_

Ichigo shook his head. He had no interest in starting a brawl-

"I want to talk to Sousuke."

'_**Heh, course ya do.'**_

'_But from the sound of things he's asleep upstairs so might as well talk to them first-learn any left out tidbits and things like that.'_

'_**And the mirror?'**_

'_I'll get to that point when I get there now be quiet I can't think if you're-_

'_**Yeah, yeah I know I'll be quiet as a mouse just for ya Ichi.'**_

His stalkers might not have any intention of telling him anything-Ichigo did realize this-

"I deserve an explanation-A REAL one."

()()

"It really wasn't necessary for you to break the door when it is mainly there for decoration," even though Starrk was the one who said it the goateed male seemed more amused than anything. "Long time no see, Ichigo."

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck-cursing his excitement for getting the best of his common sense-he ignored Shirosaki who was cackling widely in the back of his head and made a comment like

'_**Well I sure somethin' can be arranged-like vowin' to be Sousuke-sama's eternal bed slave will more than compensate for the door ya just smashed in to.'**_

"Uh sorry about that," an awkward laugh "Guess I just don't know my own strength at times."

"Ichi-pet so nice of ta to drop in-come to give us a lil' show-well actually I'm the only one worthy of seein' ya pretty ass but since it is the hols' and all I figure-

"Silence Nnoitra!"

"Aww come Quiorra I was sayin' is Ichi s-mph (…)

Ichigo raised a brow-wondering if it was really a coincidence or the fates were playing another practical joke on him.

Why the hell was Nnoitra dressed in a red and white Santa suit with black boots?

'_**I think the real question ya wanna ask here King is what's with the ropes and the gags-take a look its not just Nnoi, Grimm and Hali are bein' restrained too.'**_

"Itsugo!"

As always with out much warning a flash of seagreen and gold and Nel was attempting to smother the life out of him by greeting him with her jingle-jugs. "Itsugo Nels so glad you came."

"As am I pet, come sit in Santa-sama's lap?"

Ichigo didn't want to do anything of the sort. He cleared his throat as a way to keep focused and not let his eyes settle on Sexy Santa Nnoi or Peppermint Panther Grimm-

'_**Peppermint Panther-ya come up with that all on ya own just now Ichi-?'**_

'_Well what the hell else am I supposed to call him? I mean he's wearing stripes and his hair is shaped and styled like cat ears tonight.'_

'_**Hehehe makes ya wonder what Sousuke-sama is wearin' don't it-maybe an angel costume or nothin' at all.'**_

The blood rushed to Ichigo's cheeks so fast this time he almost had a nosebleed-

'_**I'm sure if ya asked one of em' for a tissue they'd gladly-**_

"Itsugo why are yous bleeding? Did Nels hug you too hard?"

The Coyote's smooth chuckles drowned out his hollows snickering.

Ichigo shook his head-banishing any and all smexy images and addressed the group as a whole "I don't plan to stick around for long but Gin and Tousen-san insisted that I come here because Aizen wished to speak with me but they never mentioned that any of you would be here and-

"One thing at a time Kurosaki. First you'd like to hear the rest of our story right?"

"How did you-?"

"The walls are not exactly paper thin but your breathing pattern is unmistakable."

Not for the first time Ichigo thought Ulquiorra was really sort of creepy.

"My breathing?"

The green-eyed male let out an aggravated sigh. "Of course you know some of this could have been avoided if you had listened to me and opened your duffle bag when we went out for ice cream during that one afternoon."

"Ice-cream? Heh does that mean Quiorra also shared some of his _special_ cream with you right out in broad daylight Ichi-pet?"

Ulquiorra whirled around so fast he could put a tornado to shame "Nnoitra do shut your mouth before I shut it for you!"

The black-haired male snickered and Ichigo fought down a blush.

He had never imagined sharing Ulquiorra's cream or whatever but could admit at the very least that it might have been interesting.

'_**Don't get side tracked now Ichi.'**_

'_Don't worry I'm not.'_

And suddenly the room was much too quite for the orange haired youth's liking.

Several pairs of eyes-

"What? Stop looking at me!"

"Calm down Ichigo we're only waiting for you to gather your thoughts and ask questions."

"Starrk's right," Lilinettte chimed in, "Here have a cookie, Nana-Kana made em' fresh just this morning."

Some how the image of a man like Tousen being both a nanny and a baker was rather amusing but then again Kenpachi liked to cook so-

"Anytime you're ready to start firing away questions go ahead and fire, Ichigo."

"Um well okay I'll start with something basic: Did you have anything to do with the-this is gonna sound really dumb and I'm kind of embarrassed to ask but-

"Don't be shy pet, ask away."

"Well I made an appointment to see my doctor a short while back but when I arrived there he was-well the nurse told me he had taken a temporary leave of absence which sounds normal enough except Ishida-sensei never takes a leave of absence."

"Who is your question being directed to Kurosaki?"

'Well uh Starrk actually."

A look passed between the Coyote and his sister.

"Before I answer your question, why do you think it was me? What led you to this conclusion, Ichigo?"

"Well for starters I happen to be friends with his son and secondly Ishida-sensei seems to be missing his favorite tie."

Ichigo had been rather surprised when Ishida told him the story as well-he thought the fashion designer was just messing around with until he recalled that Ishida does not joke about anything.

"Well to put it as simply as possible when I found out I was wasting my time stalking you I decided to move on to someone else."

"And you chose my doctor?"

Starrk scratched his chin "Well do you have someone better in mind Ichigo?"

"No."

"Is there a point to this Kurosaki, what does any of this have to do with the mission?"

"I'm getting there-actually on that same day and several times after that day-Ichigo trailed off-

"Yes Kurosaki?"

"Uh never mind, forget it."

"Aww come on Ichi-pet we're not gonna judge ya-just ask."

"Nnoitra," Ulquiorra's green eyes flashed, "I am not going to tell you again."

()()

"So at one point or anther in your lives all of you were adopted and raised by Aizen?"

Several head nods.

"And in order to repay/thank him for taking care of you, the decision to set out and find him a bride was made?"

"That pretty much sums it up, yes."

Orange brows furrowed still not really getting it. "But why me? And no wise cracks about how I had a soft and vulnerable or girly look about me-male or female-I don't care I'll kick all of your asses so damn hard you won't be able to-

"You really needn't finish your threat Kurosaki-no one here believes you are weak or soft."

"Then why-?"

"Well I really couldn't tell ya Ichi-pet seein' as I only met ya once if ya'd like to get to know me a bit beter-I could show ya a night out on the town-free of charge." Nnoitra's grin was as wide and perverted as his nature suggested.

"Uh-

"Ignore him Kurosaki and tell us how you were able to escape the wrath of Hinamori?"

Ichigo really rather not talk about the less-than-stable brown-eyed girl who attempted to kill him and destroy his chances with Sousuke-

"I've got a better idea why don't you untie them." (he motioned to Nnoitra and Grimmjow)

"Aren't you forgetting someone Ichigo?"

"Hmm, nope no one worth mentioning anyway."

"What about Halibel?"

A dark shadow crossed over the orange haired youth's face just then.

And then he muttered out a "Whatever."

"…"

Minutes passed-Ulquiorra did not make a move nor motioned to the Coyote to untie Grimmjow or Nnoitra.

Ichigo thought it was ridiculous-he didn't have the energy-

"Look I don't want to disrupt whatever sort of power trip mojo or whatever you're on right now Ulquiorra but there's no reason to keep them tied up and gagged."

"Well technically pet I could untie myself at anytime but thanks all the same."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Look Ulquiorra I don't want to cause any unnecessary drama but I would like to speak to Grimmjow and Nnoitra."

()()

(Ulquiorra)

Ulquiorra felt the second smirk of the night stretch its way across his lips-loving the way Kurosaki's eyes grew to a comical size as he showed off his "unique skill" the look of total and complete bafflement laced with something else-no matter how hard the orange haired male tried he just couldn't seem to figure out his speed.

"Ask politely and perhaps I will consider granting your request."

Cheeks slightly pink-whether it is was from the current close proximity (invading the younger male's space) or the possibility that Kurosaki's silly costume was as tight as it looked and the berry was having trouble breathing-it was tough to say-

"Please untie and un-gag Grimmjow and Nnoitra."

"And Halibel?"

Brown eyes flashed with something that the green eyed male hadn't thought was possible for Kurosaki to feel-he always seemed like such a forgiving type-even more so with the fairer sex-

'_Hmm curious as ever Kurosaki.'_

"I don't really care either way so long as she comes no where near me."

"Fair enough." Much like before Ulquiorra signaled to the Coyote and Lilinette.

()()

(Ichigo)

"They are released from their bonds, what now Kurosaki?"

"I want to talk to them."

"Talk, then."

"No not with everyone else around-I mean, I uh want to ask Grimmjow and Nnoitra something in private."

Ulquiorra looked perplexed "Why?"

Ichigo really didn't want to explain that among the group he felt he could be who he really was among the two arrogant for their own good bastards.

"Because-

"Outta the way Quiorra my pet wants to talk to me then he can talk to me-come Ichi-pet."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Ichigo had to admit he was rather impressed that Starrk who wasn't small by any stretch (but smaller than Nnoitra-this was just a fact) was actually blocking him.

"Before you talk to these two morons there's something I need to talk to you about."

Starrk wished to tell him something. That was rather unusual-

"Uh yeah sure-should we take it outside?"

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!"

()()

(Grimmjow)

They should give him a fucking medal for not flying out of the seat and pouncing on his brat-that's right-he didn't give two shits if it was the holiday deadline-didn't give a fuck if Aizen was asleep upstairs like some stupid modern day dorky version of sleeping beauty-he didn't give an elf's left testicle if everyone else thought it was A-OKAY to pass his Kurosaki over to a bastard who spent too much damn time curling his fucking hair-

Electric blue eyes narrowed-why the fuck did everyone have to touch what was his-why the fuck did his brat have to dress twice as sexy tonight then he normally did-why the fuck were Starrk and Ulquiorra hogging the fucking spotlight-?

They didn't know Ichigo like Grimmjow did-no one knew Ichigo like Grimmjow did-and the Coyote had to piss him off further by-

Grimmjow still couldn't believe it-what the fuck did Starrk think he was doing-?

'_All this time this piece of shit bastard claimed he was on my side-turns out he wanted Kurosaki to himself all along-not on my fuckin-!'_

Grimmjow did not share ever-even though he and denture face had come to an agreement-said they would work together-some how find a way to be with Kurosaki at the same time-hell if the blue haired male was actually gonna follow through with it-!

The moment they all least expected-

()()

(Ichigo)

Curiosity and nothing more Ichigo was all set to follow Starrk out when he found he suddenly could not move-

There was a growl at his ear-

Ichigo tried not to think about how said growl still made him shiver in his dreams from time to time-something he hoped would eventually disappear once he and Sousuke finally-

"You're not going anywhere Kurosaki, not so long as I'm here."

'_**Aww how adorable the Peppermint Panther don't want ya to leave King.'**_

_Ichigo mentally cursed 'If only he had-'_

'_**If only, if only sometimes I think ya really should write a fuckin' book King. Ya can't keep beatin' yourself up over hormones.'**_

"Grimmjow, let go."

"No. I got you a present brat but you can't have it unless you follow me out to my new truck."

Ichigo let out a sigh. Again with the presents? Really? Did it say I need to be spoiled on his forehead or something.

"I don't need any presents, Grimmjow."

The hold around Ichigo's waist tightened rather than loosened and Grimmjow's growling tone grew deeper-

"You tellin' me that you'd rather pick some random spur of the moment night in a taxi with a bastard like Aizen-_the asshole will never be a father to me something you should remember-_but anyway like I was saying you'd pick Aizen and a taxi over countless memorable moments of groping and fondling sessions spent with me?"

"Love doesn't always-it isn't always logical Grimmjow-Sousuke is-

"_Bastards name is Aizen, always Aizen!"_

"_**Sousuke**_may not be a perfect man or hell even a perfect match for me but there's something about him that-well you know-

"The fuck? You don't love him Kurosaki, you're just-blinded by those-he fucked with your brain you know-does it with everyone-

There was a bite-more like a playful nip at the back of his neck

"Grimmjow, _don't!"_

"Say it like you mean it, _Ichigo."_

Ichigo blinked-did-? "Did you just call me-

"Move over pussy cat I wanna play with Ichi-pet too."

"Fuck off Jiruga you spent 5 minutes attempting to seduce MY brat with that stupid costume of yours so you can-

"ENOUGH, the both of you!"

It wasn't Ulquiorra or Starrk or even Halibel who Ichigo was still pretending didn't exist at the moment but Nel-

"Nel?"

"Back off Neliel it has nothin' to-

The sea-green-haired girl shook her head and stood her ground-eyes more serious then Ichigo had ever seen them before, "Grimmjow, Nnoitra I know you both have feelings for Ichigo but his heart belongs to Aizen-sama, let him go."

Grimmjow's electric blues grew dim "Well now wait just a fuckin' minute-Kurosaki is a grown man if he really wants us to leave him be-we'll leave him be."

"That's right pet-ya want me to go I'll go," a grin that didn't quite meet Nnoitra's mismatched eyes "Got a party to get to anyway."

Ichigo felt torn. There had to be a way to wipe that out of place frowns off their faces.

'_That reminds me!'_

"Grimmjow remember when you asked me to go camping in the mountains with you?"

A grin "Like it was only yesterday brat."

"Nnoitra uh?"

"Yes pet?"

"Well call me crazy but I think I'd like to get to know you-as friends I mean."

"Friends-I don't really do the friend thing Ichi-pet."

"Good. More for me then."

"Now wait just a damn minute pussy cat I never said-

"QUIET! Since these two numbskulls can't go five 5 minutes with out going at it with each other I'll answer on behalf of them, Grimmjow and Nnoitra would love to go camping with you Ichi. Can Nel come too?"

It was weird hearing Neliel speak with out slurring and botching words-

She was grinning widely-almost glowing-

'_**What the hell did they put in that tea, King?'**_

'_It was coffee.'_

'_**Tea, coffee same damn thing.'**_

'_Uh not really.'_

_Snickers __**'Whatever ya say Ichi.'**_

'_I think it might have been the cookies.'_

Loud cackling '_**Could be.'**_

()()

A short while later Ichigo stood alone in the living room.

Apparently Nnoitra hadn't just been joking and really did have a party to get to-according to Starrk, Nnoitra had rented out a hotel suite all the way on the other side of town and since Grimmjow apparently couldn't stomach the idea of Ichigo getting cozy with a bastard like Aizen-the blue-haired male followed Nnoitra across town-Starrk, Halibel, Nel and children were on their way to Nemu's home.

Ichigo felt a little guilty but at the same time it wasn't like he planned any of this.

As for Ulquiorra? Seemed the green-eyed male had arrangements with a client-whatever the hell that meant.

()

Ichigo knew he was acting kind of-okay more like above and beyond ridiculous but at the same time he had a right to be nervous.

Instead of breaking things off with his not-quite-lover like a grown man-he had acted liked a child, told lies, shouted obscenities and threw his phone across the room.

Really, Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if the man lost all interest in him though from what Gin and Tousen and everyone else said, this was not likely.

Taking one last look around the heavily decorated living room-Ichigo really hoped half of those presents weren't meant for him-hoped Gin had been joking.

'_**And if he wasn't?'**_

'_Well I'll send them back or give them to someone who needs them,'_

'_**Uh huh so are ya gonna head up the staircase now or continue to stand here all night Ichi?'**_

Ichigo realized if he were wearing the shiny red nose, the man wouldn't take him seriously so he discarded the stupid thing in the trash.

_**()()**_

As Ichigo walked down he long never ending hallway he was briefly reminded of his warped fantasys-only this time Kenpachi!Giant wasn't not hot on his heels bellowing out 'Fe Fi Fo or whatever-

The orange haired youth shook his head.

He was determined to stay in the here and now and not let his mind drift.

()

(Aizen)

Aizen Sousuke was not the type of man who needed an equal companion in order to feel better about himself-this is what he had believed up until just recently-

He was a man who just happened to trip and fall into the land of love and experience the sort of feelings that he hadn't thought possible for a man like him-Understandably Aizen was quite irritated when he discovered that this "true love" thing was not something he could smooth talk or gamble his way out of.

Very little flew over his naturally wrinkle and blemish free head and he was actually rather impressed with his faithful subordinates-Gin and Kaname had been able to pull off a plan that Aizen himself had no knowledge of up until a few short hours ago.

In the end the truth always came out.

It was rather clever but he expected no less of his most loyal companions. Gin had always loved to play games and even Kaname had a secret (not secret to Sousuke of course) fondness for good-natured pranks on occasion.

Aizen was not an easy man to manipulate-so naturally he had to give credit where credit was do.

Taking over the mind of a college student was not an easy task-even more so with a boy like Ichigo-kun-not that Sousuke would admit it out loud (only in the privacy of his own thoughts) but the youth had proved to be particularly difficult-if Aizen wasn't a proud master of mind control and persuasion well…it was best not to think of never having convinced the boy to sit up front with him-

Ichigo-kun had a stubborn will all on his own-combine that with raging hormones and a mistress of mind manipulation hidden in the shadows-it was a miracle the boy's mind hadn't shattered.

Aizen did not think much of Unohana Retsu but there was no denying the scale of intelligence that could rival his own.

There was still one thing he wasn't quite sure on-why was he selected?

Of all the older men and women in Karakura town the woman could have set the boy up with why did she choose him?

Aizen hated not having answers to his questions but he supposed he could live without all the answers so long as he had his strawberry queen at his side.

()()

Kurosaki Masaki had not been far off in her assumptions-Sousuke did in fact desire to possess the boy wholly and completely.

He wanted to leave his mark on Ichigo-kun's soft skin-not with a knife or flame-nor with teeth, nails, whips, chains or collars.

Aizen held up the small coral pink colored vial-twirling it in his hand-

_The man who had succeeded where all others had failed Kurotsuchi Mayuri, had agreed to give him what many doctors/scientists were currently calling 'Miracle Cradle' formula-it had arrived in a tiny brown box earlier this afternoon._

_Mayuri had been very clear on what would happen if the formula was misused or not properly injected or swallowed-in short both its victim and the one who gave it to the victim would suffer the consequences._

_Aizen had heard the stories-had witnessed what the man could be like if his warnings fell on_ deaf ears-Mayuri could be down right villainous if angered.

Not that Sousuke was so foolish as to abuse the sensitive formula in the first place and in truth he had felt rather insulted that Mayuri had even dared to compare him to an average man.

Placing the vial back into his pocket Aizen prepared for the boy's arrival-he had known (despite having sound proof bedroom walls that Ichigo-kun had arrived a little over an hour ago-he let Gin, Kaname and his children believe that the little sleeping powder which had been sprinkled in his tea affected him-knocking him out almost instantly.

A smirk found its way on to his face-any minute-any minute now the boy would turn the knob to his bedroom door-most likely it had been Ulquiorra or Starrk's suggestion.

He would have to find a way to thank two of his most obedient children.

'_**Tomorrow, tomorrow I will-tonight is all about the boy, tonight is all about Ichigo-kun.'**_

()()

(Ichigo)

_When Ichigo turned the knob on the door and stepped into the room he wished he hadn't._

_Mirrors. Mirrors. The entire room was filled with mirrors-the colorful garland and sparkling lights did not make the mirrors any more appealing to the orange haired youth._

_Was this some kind of cruel joke?_

_Gin and Tousen-san were grown man did they honestly think it was fun to mess with him in this manner?_

"_Do not focus on the mirrors Ichigo-kun, shut the door and come to me."_

_With all the damn mirrors nearly sending the orange berry into another spiral trip in the past he hadn't even noticed the man standing by the window until that rich and smooth baritone reached his ears._

Sousuke was dressed in a-not-so simple button down red shirt made out of silk-the fine fabric showcased the man's sexy shoulders-and the dark slacks showcased the man's high and firm rear end.

"Ichigo-kun I know you heard me just now."

Ichigo swallowed and found it difficult to meet the man's gaze.

'_It's like even though I want to be stubborn he's my commander and I have no choice but to do what he says.'_

'_**Commander, heh 'spose it fits but really King stop actin' like a lil bitch and jus' walk over to Sousuke-sama.'**_

'_Yeah, yeah I'm going I'm going.'_

()()

_Less than a foot away from the man and Ichigo was suddenly finding it a challenge to breathe normally-did that mirror just move?_

_No. No it wasn't possible. It was all in his head. Whatever was in the coffee or the cookies was-_

_Ichigo shut his eyes tightly. He would not pass out-not here-not now-he wouldn't-he couldn't-he would not let this night go to waste!_

_He would ignore the mirrors as best he could tonight and then in the morning he'd demand that Sousuke throw them in the nearest dumpster._

()()

_Warmth-warmth engulfed Ichigo and he noted that it was not the same kind of warmth that Kenpachi had supplied when the man held him many times-there was something about this warmth-this warmth radiating off of Sousuke-it set not only Ichigo's body but all of his senses a blaze._

_Sousuke was everywhere. In his mind-in his heart-beneath his skin-in the reflection of the many mirrors when Ichigo dared to look_

"_Ichigo-kun."_

_Ah that baritone-the baritone which could never be replicated or replaced-_

_()()_

_To an outsider or even as casual observer (not that there was a great deal of difference between the two) it probably looked like a simple hug or strong embrace but it was so much more than that._

_In Sousuke's arms-here and now-there was no other place the orange haired youth would rather be._

()()

_The man did not rip or tug at Ichigo's unruly locks of orange colored hair, the man did not nip and prick his skin with perfect teeth tearing into his tender flesh as though he were some delicious holiday snack meant for sampling._

_()_

_Fingers traced and mapped out his face-lingering on his cheekbones before moving downward to slight dip of his chin, titling it upward-Sousuke was daring Ichigo to protest but the youth didn't have the energy to-not when those hypnotic deep brown eyes caught his slightly drunk cinnamon and coffee gaze once more-he couldn't resist if he tried._

Any questions, concerns, apologizes could wait until morning.

_Despite what his slightly feminine hips might say-despite what his sometimes overly emotional nature might suggest Ichigo was a man-a man who was turning flushed and dizzy under another man's practiced touch._

_Willing himself to forget the mirrors all together-telling himself to forget about the possibility that Sousuke might in fact be in his mind again-playing around in there-Ichigo was determined to live and enjoy the moment._

_He was determined to show and prove to Sousuke that tonight would not be a replay of the afternoon they had spent together._

_Reaching up on his tip toes in order to pull the man down and mesh their mouths together Ichigo barely noticed the sudden ripping noise until he felt the second breeze of the night go up his backside._

_()()_

_The hands on his behind were warm and finger tips were feather light-seemed almost as if Sousuke were tracing fine patterns or designs into Ichigo's sensitive flesh. The youth moved his body closer wishing-desiring to feel more!_

'_**Spacin' out King? A snicker At this rate ya are never gonna become Sousuke-sama's bride.'**_

'_But I didn't I mean he was-we were-and I could swear-it felt so-_

'_**Real?' Snicker 'I'm tellin' ya Ichi the silver fox spiked your coffee or somethin'**_

'_But why?'_

Ichigo couldn't decide if he was more irritated by the fact that Gin and possibly Lilinette had drugged him or if he was more irritated by the fact that he hadn't yet reached Sosuuke's room-hadn't yet let the man embrace him once more.

Arggggg…with an angry stomp Ichigo set off down the next corridor-digging teeth into his bottom lip-determined to stay alert.

())()

"Do not hover outside the door Ichigo-kun I do believe we are well past the stage of being hesitant aren't we?"

Ichigo pinched himself-just to make sure his mind hadn't drifted again.

Even in flat boots the youth wobbled slightly-only this man-only Sousuke had the ability to make him feel so unbalanced-so unsure of himself-so…

He stepped inside and let out a sigh he hadn't even know he'd been holding-seemed the room was void off mirrors all but the one by the walk-in-closet which could easily be ignored.

Ichigo walked towards Sosuuke and noted that the man was not dressed in a shirt and slacks but a fluffy red bath robe which was very similar to the one the man had worn and then let him wear that one afternoon.

As per usual not a single hair (barring the single curl that was always meant to be there) was out of place on Sousuke's head.

His face was as aristocratic as ever and the man's eyes-no matter how many times-the effect they had on the youth did not change-those eyes captured Ichigo-wrapped around his entire being-making him wobble even more.

It was rather difficult to pinpoint the man's body language but those eyes-

"Tomorrow."

Ichigo blinked "Er? Huh? What?"

"Tomorrow we will talk. As for tonight,"

A smirk, which could not quite be defined as lecherous found its way on to Sousuke's face, "Tonight I wish for you to give me my present, Ichigo-kun."

Present?

"I'm sorry I don't have one I mean uh I didn't expect to be seeing you again, Sousuke."

'_**Somehow I don't think the man is talkin' bout the kinda present ya purchase and wrap Ichi.'**_

A dawning look of realization followed by a blush made its way on to Ichigo's face. "Oh! Er um-

"Do you object?"

"No. It's just um-

Shirosaki snickered most unhelpfully.

"I would like for you to discard any and all information you have learned during the course of a few short weeks time and just think about what you feel-concentrate on what your heart-what your soul tells you when I am in your presence.

I want you to think back on the night we met-whether it was by hands of fate-the grace of the gods or childish games of a woman who never quite learned how to grow up-none of it should matter!

You are not some mindless doll or convenient concubine created and brought to me solely for my pleasure alone.

You are Kurosaki Ichigo, a nineteen year old college boy who captivated me, Aizen Sousuke, a man who readily will admit that he believed himself to be above such basic and troublesome emotions of the average human."

Ichigo couldn't help but grin-although he didn't care much for the man's long-winded speeches at least now he could see and understand that Sosuike did not just look at him like some pretty prize or possession.

"Step forward Ichigo-kun, let me get a better look at this enticing little number you wore for me tonight."

Forcing the blush back down Ichigo let out a snort "Dressing up as reindeer is nothing special. My old man just enjoys humiliating the hell out of me-always forgetting that I really don't give two shits what any one thinks…well for the most part anyway," he amended after a moments pause.

"I beg to differ," dark eyes glittered "spin for me."

The man couldn't be serious could he? He didn't really expect Ichigo to model the stupid costume did he?

"Uh Sousuke I'd really rather-waa!"

Ichigo let out a surprised yelp as he was lifted off his feet and tossed on to the bed.

()()

(Aizen)

With Ichigo-kun now effectively pinned beneath his body-Sousuke took the opportunity to properly look at his cute little reindeer.

He almost wished the antlers were real as he let one of his hands brush the felt-like material.

"I've never imagined having a hybrid in my bed until this moment."

The boy glared up at him. "It's not like their real antlers, asshole-it's a fuckin' headband."

Sousuke gave the youth a slight tap on the nose as if scolding an animal "It is whatever I wish it to be on this night Ichigo-kun, now hush and let me finish my exploration."

The rest of the costume looked and felt like a combination of cotton and polyester-clinging and hugging the boys' lithe and beautiful frame like a second skin-a thin material-easy to rip but first

"I'm beginning to suspect that you do not like it when another touches your hands for this is the third time you've warm gloves indoors." At these words Sousuke removed the offending fabric and now held the boys' slighter smaller hands in his own before bringing the fingertips up to his lips, bathing the digits with his tongue.

When the boy made a move to retract his hand the man scolded the youth by breaking the skin with his teeth-just a pinprick-a minor flesh wound which would be gone in a day-two tops.

The combination of Ichigo-kun's moaning and wincing only provoked Sousuke to 'torture' the youth even more.

()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo tried to forget about the mirror-he had almost succeeded up until he noticed another one (this one was long enough to cover one whole half of the ceiling)

"Why do you have so many damn mirrors in your bedroom?"

Sousuke's lips were on Ichigo's neck-the man's smooth baritone turned into mumbled answer of "I told you to forget about the mirrors and just concentrate on us."

"I'm trying but damn it I ahh!"

The man ignored his protests and created a long trail of teeth and tongue along Ichigo's neck-paying careful attention to his collarbone (When had the man ripped his costume?)

Suddenly Ichigo discovers that not only is his collarbone but his chest as well is now exposed-he arched his back and let out a whimper followed by a low moan of pleasure as Sousuke captured one of his peach nubs between his teeth. The man put just enough pressure on the bite to make it sting but not puncture and then soothed it over with his tongue.

"I do not wish to bind you to the bed on our first real night together but I can not properly taste you if you continue to squirm, Ichigo-kun."

Ichigo felt annoyed "How the hell can you expect me to just lie here like a ahhh ngh ahhh gahh-!"

This time a ripping noise did reach his ears-while lips, tongue and teeth continued their slow torturous dance on his chest-hands rubbed along his hips and stomach.

WTF?

Ichigo didn't like this sensation at all-it felt weird-he didn't want his belly rubbed-he wasn't a freakin' animal-

"Damn it Sousuke, stop!"

The youths' protests fell on deaf ears as the man began to rip at the bottom half of his costume-

Ichigo went stiff-shit he couldn't let-

'What have we here?"

Sousuke pulled his mouth away from Ichigo's skin and sat up.

Ichigo already flushed started to flush even more when those rich browns bored into him as hands brushed the tip of his half erect organ through the thin fabric-Ichigo tried to push the larger hands away-he'd forgotten all about the leather thong that Rukia had forced him to wear-Sousuke wasn't supposed to-no one was supposed to-

Unlike the orange haired youth's typical briefs this stupid thong barely covered a damn thing-not that the man hadn't already seem him naked before (for he had) but that wasn't the damn-

"Gah ngh no!"

"Leather suits you well Ichigo-kun." A brief pause and then "Sit up a little for me and pull the costume the rest of the way off I wish to see what else you have brought for me this year."

Not quite against his will even though he was still rather embarrassed Ichigo obeyed Sousuke's command.

()()

(Aizen)

Sexier than any private escort, underwear model or porn star-it was just another reminder to Sousuke-he would never tire of his Ichigo-kun's sinful little body. He hadn't considered dressing the youth in leather but now-

"Turn around slowly."

The boy complied even though the flush and the glare never left his face.

Seeing the boys' perfect posterior encased in the tiny little leather thong-loving how the material was riding low on his shapely hips-

"Bend for me."

The boys' body went stiff once more-the muscles in his back tightening like a rod-tiny goose bumps breaking out onto his flushed peach toned skin-

"Ichigo-kun must I repeat my self?"

The boy looked over his shoulder in order to glare at Sousuke "I'm not going give my virginity to you unless I can see your face."

Sousuke chuckled lightly and then embraced the youth-let his weight press onto the youth's back-giving his future strawberry bride no other option but to bend.

He was not satisfied until the boys' face was pressed against the bed while his lovely buttocks kissed his own clothed hard on.

Sousuke ignored Ichigo's hissing and snarling and sat back to admire the view for a few minutes.

Then reached for the coral pink colored vial in the pocket of his robe.

"Very nice."

Using the heel of his foot-the man pressed against the crease of the boys' ass-

"Spread your legs for me."

The boy did not comply but whirled around and glared more fiercely "You bastard I said I wasn't going to let you f-what's that?"

Sousuke twirled the vial in between his fingers "It will help you relax."

"Fuck relaxing!" The youth snarled out "If you're going to fuck me-

"Make love," Sousuke corrected.

The blush returned to the youths' face ten fold. His voice softened a little, orange lashes shielding expressive eyes from view "If you embrace me on this night, then I want to do it face to face."

A smirk "You say it as though you only intend to go one round with me Ichigo-kun."

"I-gah-st-stop doing that!" 

"Doing what? I am sitting here perfectly calm, waiting for you to settle down like a good little deer and accept this as the first of many tokens of love. Now remove your underwear and-

"Listen here you-" the boy trailed off-more pouting now rather than glaring at him-he eyed the vial suspiciously "Is that some kind of lubricant or something?"

'That is one way this can be used, yes."

Orange brows furrowed as though the youth was sorting through his thoughts. "What else does it do then? It's not going turn me into some kind of sex-slut from one of those trashy novels or something is it? I mean uh you're not going to ask me to call you master of all masters at the end of the night are you?"

"Hmm."

"Hmm? What the fuck does hmm mean? No secrets Sousuke, tell me what the fuck that hmm was about just now. I mean I'm sitting here practically naked in front of you while you continue to _**sit there in ya damn bathrobe-selfish bastard I wanna play too-maybe I'd like to ogle ya-maybe I wanna taste of ya sexy shoulders-maybe I wanna bring ya to the great white paradise-ya said ya liked the way my mouth felt on ya cock before didn't ya? So come on before ya go turnin' me into some love sick fool let me show ya what I can do."**_

"Hmm, your eyes, their gold again. Tell me Ichigo-kun, is that normal?"

"_**What ya talkin' bout Sousuke I ain't-hey hey what are ya-?"**_

Sousuke advanced on the boy (not that there was a great deal of distance between them to begin with) capturing the youth's face in his hands once again and tilting the chin up ward in order to get a better look.

Hmm. It wasn't logical at least not by his knowledge but it seemed-could it be another persona truly lurked inside his strawberry queen? "How very interesting," he released his hold on the youth's chin. "What do I call you?"

A grin-a grin not quite belonging stretched across Ichigo-kun's face. "_**Let's just say Sousuke-sama that I'm the one-the only one who can get King to do what ya want em' to do-I'm the only one who can see to it that he's nice and prepped for entry-ya wish to send him to the great white paradise-fill em' with ya seed-ya want him to fall completely in love with ya right?"**_

There was no point to lie when Ichigo-kun was still technically there "I do."

A cheeky grin "_**Then toss me the happy lube and let's get this party started Sou-sama!"**_

()()

(Ichigo)

Ichigo hadn't meant to let his hollow out to play but it seemed easier. With Shirosaki working as a temporary distraction, the orange berry could gather his wits about him and relax.

But as always this proved to be a foolish choice

'_Shirosaki knock it the fuck off now!'_

'_**Ah but King ya have to let me play a lil more.'**_

'_The hell I do! Now shut up and just stand by until I need you again,'_

'_**Ya never let me have any real fun.'**_

'_Oh would you stop with your damn whining-you feel what I feel and if anyone is going to touching by body-preparing my body for Sousuke, it's going to be me.'_

'_**Heh, just don't pass out when ya reach the sphincter.'**_

_()()_

(Aizen)

Gold eyes faded back to brown.

The boy held the vile in his hands-twirling it and then stopped to study it-orange brows furrowed as the youth struggled to find some sort of opening.

Of course Sousuke had no intention of telling Ichigo-kun how to open the vial. He was far too amused.

"How the hell am I supposed to apply or insert anything when this damn bottle won't even open?" 

"Because you won't be applying or inserting it-I will."

"Y-you!"

"Yes, me. Really Ichigo-kun did you honestly think I was going to let you do whatever you wish here in my bedroom in my home?" A chuckle "You have much to learn-now crawl to me let me wipe away the pout from those sweet lips of yours."

"Bastard!" Ichigo growled and then crawled to the man "You're lucky you're good at kissing or else I'd-

Dark eyes glittered "Just good you say? Well that is something I must correct right now. Calling my kisses good or satisfactory will never do."

()()

(Gin)

"I sure hope Ichi-chan is havin' a good time."

"I can't imagine why he wouldn't-now will you be having the crab or lobster Gin?"

Gin had quickly discovered that eating was always a must if he was going to be in a serious relationship with a man like Kaname and not that the silver-fox had any objections to this-but he'd really rather just skip the main course and head straight to the dessert-he had a not-quite-so secret sweet tooth and his dark-skinned lover looked positively delicious right now.

Along with purple and orange, gold was Kaname's color-he looked a bit like royalty especially as he sipped his wine.

"Think we should drop by the mansion in the morning and officially welcome 'im to the family?"

()()

(Ichigo)

Masturbating in front of the mirror.

'_**Well this is certainly a new way to confront ya fears eh Ichi-King?'**_

Oh yes he would definitely demand an explanation from Sousuke in the morning but for now he would just shut his eyes and try to get lost in self-pleasure.

_But truthfully he had no one but himself to blame-served him right for making a deal with the man._

_Sousuke would sit on the bed with his robe open and his underwear off (the youth refused to continue when the other man hadn't even removed his clothes-not that he had much on to begin with-but that wasn't the point) while Ichigo touched himself in front of the mirror._

_When orange berry demanded to know 'Why the hell are you so insistent on watching me jerk off anyway-you some kind of voyeur Sousuke?'_

_The man's response had been 'There will be some days and nights where I will approach you and expect you to stop whatever it is you are doing and- a smirk "I'm sure you can fill in the blanks, Ichigo-kun."_

'_Bastard you really do want me to just be some modern whipping boy at your service when its all said and done is that it?'_

_Sousuke chuckled, untied his robe and sat back on the bed. _

_If it wasn't a sight Ichigo had seen once before he'd probably have drool dripping down his face-_

On shaky legs the orange-haired youth made his way over to the mirror-he could almost swear that there was a face laughing at him-quickly shaking his head to banish an image that wasn't really there and focus on his task.

So Ichigo slipped his hands underneath the ridiculously thin waist band and pulled the thong down-secretly vowing to never be caught dead in such an embarrassing undergarment again-he kicked the offensive item aside and kneeled-there was no way he was going to attempt this standing up.

()()

(Aizen)

Sousuke had every intention to keep his word right up until the moment when his little shy virgin strawberry queen once again displayed just how oh-so-flexible he could be.

There was artistry to the boys' solo performance

_Rather than diving right for his dripping organ the boy caressed the side of his face-brushing over fine brows, a perfectly symmetric nose and kiss-bruised lips-hovering-tracing the outline for a few minutes-before moving past boyish cheekbones, jaw line and a love-bitten neck-_

_()(0_

_Using his right hand Ichigo-kun pinched his peach colored nipples-alternating back and forth between each one-rolling the sensitive nubs until they hardened into pebbles-or perhaps a more accurate description would be candy-while his left hand moved on down to well defined abs and ahh yes that was where he needed to go-_

_Oh? Well then so Ichigo-kun wasn't going to go there just yet-he was going to neglect his dripping hard-on in favor of moving on to healthy semi-swollen (in truth the boy looked like he might burst any moment) ball sac (which the man would bet was just as smooth as it looked) _

_No-that wasn't quite the youth's goal either-he was aiming for something else-because after a few squeezes he moved his hands away entirely and then-_

_Sousuke had been with his fair share of talented/creative lovers but none were quite as-he thought such an act/skill could only be achieved by-_

_A raised brow-no it couldn't Ichigo wasn't really going to-_

_Yes he was!_

_A light pink colored tongue touched-flicked-tasted the very tip of a swollen penis-as if to show the man that it hadn't just been an illusion the boy performed the trick again-this time swirling his tongue around-as if he were enjoying a self made lollipop_

_And as Sousuke watched this he came very close to shooting off a load but of course he was no amateur and so he managed to get a hold on himself even as his eyes blazed with hot barely restrained desire-his smooth baritone dropping another octave as he commanded that the boy _

"_Stop what you're doing and turn and face me."_

_()()_

(Ichigo)

Sneaky little bastard his 'hollow' was-

Ichigo was red faced and on the verge of exploding all over the damn mirror, the rich carpeting and himself and Sousuke demanded that he turn around and face front-was the man fucking joking he couldn't face him now-not after-

'_**Come on Ichi Sousuke-sama sounds so turned on-how could ya possibly deny-**_

'_Shut up-you how did-when did-_

_**A cackle 'Member years back when we chat-chatted on the train and I told ya that Zan could remember the past lives he lived?'**_

Ichigo did not like where this was heading. Not in the least.

'_What are you going to tell me you were a whore-meaning I was a whore in a past life Shirosaki?'_

'_**Heh, not 'xactly but ya see King when ya spend some time in a circus or two-**_

'_Okay enough! I don't-never mind just help me get my damn body under control. I mean I don't want to like ejaculate in his face or something.'_

_A cackle '__**Well why not-could be f-**_

'_NO!'_

'_**Aww come Ichi ya are no f-**_

'_You already had your fun you kinky little.'_

'_**Why thank you-I'll be here 4 nights outta the week-specially when its times to bring out the leather ball and chain ooh and-**_

'_Not hearing this I am not hearing this.'_

()()

Well at least Sousuke was enough of a gentleman to carry Ichigo back to the bed rather than just mount him right in front of the mirror like a fucking horse at the county fair.

The orange haired youth shivered at the image and the bastard of a man who he might one day just agree to move in with (among other things) took it as a sign to slip his first finger towards the crease of his ass.

Ichigo willed himself not to tense up-he'd heard/read that it would only make it worse.

()()

(Aizen)

The boys perfectly peach puckered bottom was practically crying out for his skilled and practiced touched. Sousuke had no desire to disappoint or prolong things-following his gentle yet firm command Ichigo-kun spread his legs wide and waited for further instruction-

The man fully intended on putting the boys unrivaled flexibility to good use-pining the legs back behind his head-ignoring the youth's slight groan-he did not stop until the boys freshly polished toes reached the curved bed frame.

"Comfortable Ichigo-kun?"

"You fucking asshole this position doesn't even make any damn-you're deranged-I'm not letting you-

"Hush, you know you like it," with these words man pressed the pad of his thumb against the rosy hole marveling at its beauty before continuing with "Say you want more."

"Only in your dreams o-hhh oh g-!"

()()

(Rukia)

Rukia was trashed to the point where she could barely stand up with out someone standing right next to her-

"Alright who wants to open the next present?" she asked in a slurred yet uber giddy sounding voice "Nii-sama how bout you?"

Byakuya did not answer. The man didn't even act as though he had registered her question-seemed far more interested in sherry wine-hell he had barely even raised a brow when Shuhei paraded around the grand living room in Rukia's old cheerleading uniform.

The raven-haired girl would admit (only under the influence of course) that Shuhei looked better in the tiny skirt then she ever had.

Not receiving an answer Rukia kicked off her black heels and stumbled towards her brother.

()()

"Nii-sama what's wrong? This isn't like you."

"…"

"Please talk to me Byakuya nii-sama."

Perhaps it was the liquor the Christmas lights playing with her but Rukia could swear the older male was-

"Nii-sama are you pouting?"

Rukia couldn't help herself the very idea was hysterically funny.

A moment later she burst into laughter. He reminded her of a 8 year old boy rather than a grown man.

"Rukia, stop laughing at once."

After his lecture the man went back to pouting.

Rukia studied his form-slouching-her Byakuya-nii-sama was slouching what on earth?

"He said he'd be here."

Rukia furrowed her waxed brows "Who Nii-sama?"

"Kuro-Ichigo, my Ichigo, he promised he'd be here."

"Uh Nii-sama you're in love with and practically married to Shuhei what do you mean-

"HE'S MINE!" Eyes unfocused and blazing with a swirl of emotions which were difficult to define Byakuya gripped her shoulders just then "Bring him to me-only then will this night mean anything!"

Rukia sat down on the arm of the chair and patted the man lightly "There, there Nii-sama you've just had a little bit too much to drink. Wait here I'll grab Shuhei and-

"No! Ichigo I want Ichigo-give him to me Rukia-NOW!"

()()

(Ichigo)

Oh come on!

Did I really black out again?

'_**Not quite King-more like ya had a brief intermission-'**_

'_Intermission?'_

Someone was tapping Ichigo's check-a warm soft hand

"Sousuke?"

"I apologize for not giving you a warning Ichigo-kun but the hardest step is over now."

Ichigo wasn't quite sure what the man was referring too until he felt fingers moving in and out of his now dripping hole-it was a bit of an odd and rather filling sensation but not unpleasant-the fingers were soft yet firm-

"Y-you were fingering my ass while I was unconscious?"

Lips were at the orange haired youth's ear "You have to understand that preparation is everything. Your body is naturally strung tight and without proper-

Blushing crimson Ichigo demanded that the man shut the hell up-well sort of "I get it you don't have to-gah just-ahh (what the hell was that just now-right at the moment when the man's middle finger curled Ichigo felt-

"Deeper!"

"Deeper you say?"

As if it was a fucking question. This man was such an infuriating

"Ngh oooh oh-!

"I do believe the words you are looking for are Sousuke-sama but since neither you nor I are dressed as Egyptians on this evening, Sousuke will do just fine."

This bastard he really just-

"Damn it Sousuke quit f- The foul word died on Ichigo's lips as the man complied and pushed in deeper only to stop again a moment laughter, a evil chuckle slipping past his lips-

"What would you like for Christmas, Ichigo-kun?"

"Your over-inflated head on an ice pick would be a nice start."

The youth earned a well-deserved smack on the ass for that one-causing him to yelp and shoot white sticky cum onto the pillow.

"Naughty boy's get coal in their stockings for Christmas but since you're no ordinary boy Ichigo-kun, Sousuke-sama will just get you the stockings-in a fine rich wine color of red with tiny black-no white ribbons and then for New Years hmm now let me see-

Shirosaki's familiar cackling sounded '_**Ya want to have ya cake and eat it too-push back on his fingers any plans Sou-sama might have to humiliate ya further will die on lips the moment ya lil' bud closes in around his fingers like a damn suction cup-nah better than that'**_

'_Shiros-_

'_**Do what I tell ya for once King!'**_

_**()()**_

(Aizen)

He hadn't been entirely truthful prepping Ichigo-kun wasn't the only thing Sousuke had done while the youth had been knocked out unconscious.

_It was the opportune moment to act-to open the vial and slip the liquid inside the boy's body. _

_The cradle serum according to Mayuri had a slight burning sensation as it worked its way in and stretched the anal wall for entry-moving into the bloodstream where it would temporarily trick the mind into believing that the body belonged to a female. _

_It was a rather complex process and if Sousuke had been a man of lesser intelligence he never would have been able to pull it off-_

_()()_

Sousuke was brought back to the current moment as he felt his strawberry queen squirming around-seemed the boy was growing rather impatient

It seemed Ichigo-kun was determined to take what he wanted rather than beg for it-a smirk found its way onto Sousuke's lips as he encouraged the boy "That's it! Show me how much you want me. Show me how much your body aches for something other than my fingers-let your self get lost in the mind numbing pleasure and heat-let go."

()()

(Ichigo)

It was the man's voice-every time that voice was the trigger for Ichigo's explosive orgams-he realized Sousuke was the kind of man who would probably bring him to the great white paraside and back even after Ichigo no longer had any energy to move, to cry out, to plea/demand "More"

'_**Let me give you a quick tip King.'**_

'_Fine. What is it?'_

'_**Squeeze the base of ya cock until ya wince-by doin' this you'll distract ya self from the initial pain of being entered.'**_

'_You said if I was with a skilled lover like Sousuke I wouldn't have to worry about feeling any pain.'_

'_**Well ya have to see the thing is-even with a skilled lover there's no way to avoid pain entirely King-don't believe what the fairy tales tell ya-its only natural-grit ya teeth and bare it!'**_

"Ichigo-kun."

His name. Just his name spilling from those perfect lips in that hypnotic smooth baritone was enough to end Ichigo spiraling over into the great white paradise-happening almost lightening fast that his curse of 'fuckin' hell son of a bitch that hurts take it out' turned to high pitched moans and incoherent babbles.

()()

THE REAL EPILOGUE

Some years later…

Ichigo never cared for spring much.

It rained too damn much in his opinion and in addition it also happened to be the time when his body was highly sensitive-of course there was only one man he could pin the blame on-and that man just happened to be his lover who was currently asleep in their shared bed.

The orange berry let out a snort. _'Sure bastard you sleep the day away while I do all the damn work.' _

There was a light tapping sound pulling Ichigo from his thoughts and over to the doorway entrance

"Knock, knock."

It was Halibel looking a lot like Ichigo felt-happy but worn out.

The blonde was letting her hair grow out and had recently traded in her beloved scarf for seashell and bottle-cap necklaces and she had since abandoned her exhibitionist ways in favor of brightly colored blazers and skirts. Motherhood had done the blonde a world of good.

"Are the girls ready?"

Cinnamon and coffee brown eyes fell on the bed-smiling fondly at the two small forms curled on either side of his lazy lover. Of course this wasn't entirely true-Sousuke was every bit the business tycoon he had always been-the man had simply taken the week off and instead of helping Ichigo out around the mansion and with their children as he promised the man developed sleeping pattern which could rival Starrks.

Ichigo turned back to Halibel "I don't want to wake them until everyone else has arrived." He stood up "I'm actually about to head into the nursery and check on Takuji, you can join me if you like."

()()

Ichigo loved all of his children-more than his own life but especially with his son he felt an extra special kind of connection-course he reasoned in his own private thoughts that the reason for this might be to do the fact that he had actually consented to being a 'mother' for the second time around in his young life-unlike the first time when he been tricked into becoming one-

The tiny babe of 18 months with a small tuft of bright orange hair opened bright lilac colored eyes-it was almost like he sensed that Ichigo had entered room.

A soft smile came over the orange haired males' face as he lifted the boy out of his crib.

"It always amazes me how he looks so much like you and father at the same time-I mean as brilliant a man is Mayuri is and as crafty my Nemu can be they've both told me more than once that there's a only 5 percent chance that the child will come out looking like both its parents-and yet you Kurosaki-you have done it twice."

Ichigo didn't bother correcting and pointing out that his son had inherited Sousuke's mother's eyes and that it was their twin girls that looked more like the man-Halibel was forever and always going to be set in her ways.

()()

Sousuke knew Ichigo wasn't happy with him at the moment but his strawberry queen could never stay mad at him for long-he'd get over it.

"Uh oh Otousan has that look on his face again, you know what that means right Kako?"

"Mm hmm I sure do Koume it means Touchan is going to be very grumpy tomorrow morning."

The shorter of the non-fraternal twin girls looked thoughtful for a moment as she furrowed orange brows "But Touchan is grumpy every morning."

The man couldn't help but chuckle-it sometimes astounded him even now how very perceptive his daughters' were-and frightened him at the same time. They were only 7 and it already seemed like they were growing up much too fast.

"Kako, Koume you know it is impolite to gossip when your father is right in the room with you."

The two girls jumped at his soft reprimand and bowed their heads "We're sorry."

But of course Sousuke wasn't really mad. And after a moment he smiled at duo and let Kako climb up on his shoulders while Koume sat in his lap-in another year they would be too old (perhaps they were already too old) but admitting this would mean the man himself would have to admit that he was getting older and that would just not do-specially with his 36th birthday practically right around the corner.

"Why are you frowning Otousan?"

"There's no need to be sad."

"I'm not sad."

And he wasn't-he still had his looks-his heath-his business-his loyal subordinates-his children-and his strawberry queen-really what more could he ask for?

()(0

A family photo was anything but traditional or simple because things were never traditional or simple in Ichigo's life. After all his definition for the word "family" went far beyond his mother, goat face, Karin, Yuzu, Sosusuke and their own children.

The orange berry considered all of his friends to be family and although he knew how much it irritated the crap out of Nnoitra and Grimmjow to refer to them as family members when they were still almost painfully obsessed with him-by definition since Sousuke had adopted them they were family as well.

It was uber bizarre situation-ten times more than any cheese-o-rific sitcom found on American television but it worked.

"Alright everyone huddle in closely-we don't want to miss any of your smiling faces now do we?"

A series of flashes went off on the camera before the ridiculously large group split and went off in different directions of the wide garden.

Hinamori had given up her attempts to kill him and every one else in her path and now focused her energy on being a part-time photographer. No one was really sure what else the brown-eyed girl did in her spare time and no one really cared-much.

Ichigo hadn't missed the rather sharp looking spork hiding underneath Hiyori's belt-secretly he was glad it was there just incase Hinamori decided to have a relapse and this time try to kill both him and his children.

He felt someone poke him in the forehead. It was Rukia and she was wearing a grin on her face "You really should stop glowering Ichigo or one day your face really will get stuck that way."

"Oh I don't know Ruki-chan I'd say the glower fits Kurosaki-kun just fine-after all you'd be grumpy too if a bunch of your guests were fighting over who gets to hold your baby."

"Thanks Inoue."

"Anytime."

Silver-blues twinkled "It's a good thing I never plan to have children then or else-

"I do not believe now is the time or the place for suck talk Rukia-san, now be a dear and watch Aina for me, I have a very important call to take and I can not miss it or else my father will have my head."

"We'll all watch her for you, Nemu."

The petite dark haired woman studied Ichigo for a moment-he wasn't quite sure he liked the subtle smirk that found its way on her face. "Very well that will be satisfactory."

When Nemu was out of sight Rukia pulled him down and whispered in his ear "Actually Ichigo I think it would be better if you looked for Aizen-san I think I saw him heading towards the kitchen."

"But A-

"We'll watch Aina-chan."

Inoue nodded in agreement. It was rather impressive how she tended to hear all of his conversations with Rukia even when it was said in a low whisper.

"We sure will Kurosaki-kun, now go on go on don't make Aizen-san wait."

Ichigo let out a sigh and then set off in the direction that he had seen his lover heading in-although why the man was going to the kitchen of all places was any one's guess.

()()

When Ichigo set foot inside the kitchen he found a note hanging above his head-it was short and simple-

_**I'm outside**_

Ichigo felt like rolling his eyes why would Sousuke go inside only to come back outside-unless the man was talking outside in front by the gates-

"Oi Ichi-pet get this slobbering little demon away from me already!"

The orange haired male turned and laughed at the sight of Nnoitra being covered in drool-Takuji had a wide grin on his little chubby face.

"I think he likes you Nnoitra."

The dark haired male scowled "The hell he does-look pet letting you drool on me is one thing but some brat the hell if I'm going to-

"Do you ever know when the hell to shut up Nnoitra?"

Just then Grimmjow came around the corner-the blue haired male seemed to have a better tolerance for children-both Kako and Koume were clinging to his legs and yet he didn't stumble in the least.

"How's it going Ichi-brat?"

Ichigo really didn't understand why even after all this time neither male could just call him by his damn name without adding some annoying term of endearment to it but he supposed it didn't harm any one so-

"Trying to steal my girls away from me Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow threw his head back and laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it brat-anyway you look like your headin' somewhere even though we just got here."

"Yeah pet why are ya leavin' when the fun hasn't even started yet."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Why do you two always have to-

"Grimmjow, Nnoitra leave Ichi alone or else you'll give Nels no other choice but to hurt you."

"Get out of here Neliel, we're just messin round."

"Yeah scat bitch-I just wanna have a moment or two with my pet."

Nel looked like she was torn "Itsugo?"

"It's fine Nel-uh can you-?

"Say no more Itsugo super-nana Nel is to the rescue."

()()

Ichigo didn't know whether he should laugh or glare at the scene that awaited him went he finally made his way out front.

There parked in the drive way was an all too familiar taxi cab and in the front seat-looking as aristocratic, sexy and arrogant as ever

"Really Sousuke I've heard of recreating memorable moments in a relationship but this a bit extreme don't you think?"

Sousuke's dark eyes glittered "Ah but this time around I'm not letting you leave the taxi."

()()

END.

**NO FOR REAL THIS TIME. THE END THE END THE END**

_Well minus the alternate winners but this is the END END…YEAH._

_THANK YOU FOR READING EVERYONE_

_~SLY~_


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